@fffw1826

1 year ago

Matahari (Indonesian)=sun (English). Mata Hari (literally, “Eye of the Day) is a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during WW I. Her real name is Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle). She was born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. She married a Dutch Colonial Army Captain Rudolf MacLeod. She moved with her husband to Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) in 1897. In Indonesia, they lived in Java Island and Sumatra Island. When she lived in Indonesia she studied Indonesian culture and joined a local dance company during that time. Mata Hari is Margaretha’s pen name when she was in correspondence with her relatives in the Netherlands. Rudolf and Margaretha separated in 1902 because Rudolf was an alcoholic and physically abused Margaretha. In 1903, Margaretha moved to Paris. She struggled to earn a living in Paris. She performed as a circus horse rider using the name Lady MacLeod and also posed as an artist's model. By 1904, Mata Hari began to rise to prominence as an exotic dancer. Tall, extremely attractive, superficial, and willing to appear virtually nude in public, Mata Hari was an instant success in Paris and other large cities. She was shot by the French on charges of spying for Germany during World War I. She caused the deaths of thousands of Allied soldiers.

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