and convicted spy, made her name synonymous with femme fatale during World War I.]] Mata Hari was the stage name of Margaretha Geertruida (Grietje) Zelle (7 August, 1876, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands – 15 October, 1917, Vincennes, France), a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was executed by firing squad for espionage during World War I. Life Background Margaretha Zelle was born in Leeuwarden, Friesland in the Netherlands, to Adam Zelle, owner of a hat store, and Antje van der Meulen, both born and raised in Friesland.[LINK: http://www.praamsma.org/Mata%20Hari.htm] www.praamsma.org - Mata Hari When she was 6, the family moved to Leiden. In 1891 her mother died and her father went bankrupt. At 18, she answered an advertisement in a Dutch newspaper of man looking for a wife. Margaretha married a Dutch naval officer named Rudolf MacLeod in Amsterdam