| Mathilde | |
| Fictional Character | |
| 1632 series POD: May, 1631 | |
| Appearance(s): | 1632 |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct |
| Nationality: | Germany |
| Occupation: | Prostitute |
| Relatives: | Gertrude (sister), Inga (cousin) |
| Affiliations: | Committees of Correspondence |
| Created by: | Eric Flint |
Mathilde was part of a family of refugees in Jena. As the adult men in her family had been killed during the Thirty Years' War, she, her two sisters, and her two cousins turned to prostitution in Jena to survive. They had a regular clientelle among the students of Jena.
Concurrent with the Battle of Jena, Gretchen Richter (at the suggestion of Mike Stearns and Melissa Mailey) met with Mathilde and her family. The five women agreed to become the nucleus of the Committees of Correspondence, especially as they were among the class of women vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft. The also agreed to share this idea with their clients. There was a stumbling block in that none of the women were literate, a problem Richter immediately set out to resolve.