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August 7, 1876
Leeuwarden, Netherlands
October 15, 1917
Paris, France

Exotic dancer and courtesan

Mata Hari has gone down in history as one of the most notorious and exotic spies involved in World War I. Yet there is some evidence that her celebrated conviction for spying for the German army may have been based on false evidence. In fact, Mata Hari may not have been a spy at all. Rather, it is possible that she was a victim of a frantically suspicious world at war; unable to see the danger around her, she may have trapped herself in an attempt to make quick money. The whole truth about Mata Hari may never be known, but she was a flamboyant woman with a flair for the dramatic, so perhaps she would be pleased to know that her legend and her mystery live on.

A Childhood in the Netherlands

Mata Hari's original name was Margaretha Geertruida Zelle. She was the...