Girl from a family grown rich Hatter from the Dutch city Leervardene called Margaret Gertrude Zelle. The date of her birth is called the August 7, 1876. The story of her marriage, as well as all the things that happened to her on, was a strange and tragic: army officer McLeod gave frivolous ad for a life partner in the newspaper. Responded to this Ad for 18-year-old graduate of the monastery school Margarita.
They were married. In this marriage they had two children - a son Norman (who died in childhood poisoning attacker) and daughter Jeanne. McLeod family lived for several years in the colony in Asia, then returned to Holland. The marriage was not a success: Margarita flirted with the officers of the post husband, he, in turn, did not keep her allegiance to the same beat and humiliated wife. In 1904, Margaret escapes from her husband in Paris. It was in this city from the Dutch wife supernumerary officer she turned into a seductive dancer Mata Hari - under that name, meaning in Malay "eye of the day" or "morning ray," she went down in history. Mata Hari danced half-naked, telling everyone that dance, which she conquered Paris, learned from his mother, he served in the Hindu temple.
Ethnicity and Sexuality Mata Hari (tender body, languishing eyes, a beautiful plastic) attracted to it a huge amount of high-fans. Mata Hari was a citizen of the Netherlands, and was able to travel to Europe, setting the stage for one novel after another. She preferred to influential patrons from government circles, high-ranking officers. And just handsome in uniform could count on her favor.
It is because of the numerous and complex personal relationships Mata Hari brought on suspicion of espionage. French police collected a volume of evidence that Mata Hari was spying for Germany. However, this evidence in the case was not. With the exception of the vial with the "invisible" ink, was in the end contraceptive injections, and the story of some ladies that allegedly Mata Hari herself admitted her that she is the very Agent X-21, who worked for the Germans. Figured in the investigation and royalties received by it from various sources.
The reasons for which Mata Hari could lead espionage activities, and to this day remain a mystery: she did not need the money, it was the glory and a lot of fans (one of them, however, and did not save her from the court and shooting). She could work for Germany to avenge France, where after his arrival has experienced many bitter years. But, most likely, adventurism and the desire to turn life into a sharp, risky and full of pleasures performance moved her.
Mata Hari's arrest was made in Paris January 13, 1917. She stayed on the court defiant, saying that is cosmopolitan and can communicate wherever he wants and who wants to follow his convictions. She was sentenced to death as guilty of espionage against France. Mata Hari refused to plead pregnant by one of her lovers - Cluny (it might save her) and three months in prison behaved as usual, resilient and persistent.
On the day of the execution of Mata Hari looked elegant. At the place of execution, she expressed a request that she was not blindfolded and tied up. Zouaves, who were to lead executions were struck by the power of the spirit of this fragile woman. Is this true, but one theory is that all the bullets fired at Mata Hari, barely touched her, except for one, hit her in the heart.
What is the story of Margaret Zelle, known under the name Mata Hari, the truth and what is fiction still is a source of intense research. At her home in Holland Mata Hari honored as a heroine, refusing to believe that this talented and freedom-loving woman could be a German spy, and calling on France to reconsider the case of Mata Hari.