Theroigne de Mericourt

Anne-Josèphe Théroigne de Méricourt was a Belgian singer, orator and organizer in the French Revolution. She was born at Marcourt (from which comes the appellation "de Méricourt"), a small town in Luxembourg province, in modern Belgium. She was active in the French Revolution and worked within the Austrian Low Countries to also foster revolution. She was held in an Austrian prison from 1791 to 1792 for being an agent provocateur in Belgium. She was a cofounder of a Parisian revolutionary club and had warrants for her arrest issued in France for her alleged participation in the October Days uprising. She is known both for her portrayal in the French Revolutionary press and for her subsequent mental breakdown and institutionalization.