Václav Havel Library
| Václav Havel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1st President of the Czech Republic | |
|
In office 2 February 1993 – 2 February 2003 |
|
| Prime Minister |
Václav Klaus Josef Tošovský Miloš Zeman Vladimír Špidla |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Václav Klaus |
| 10th President of Czechoslovakia | |
|
In office 29 December 1989 – 20 July 1992 |
|
| Prime Minister |
Marián Čalfa Jan Stráský |
| Preceded by | Gustáv Husák |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
5 October 1936 Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| Died | 18 December 2011 (aged 75) Vlčice, Czech Republic |
| Political party | OF (1989–1991) |
| Other political affiliations |
ODA supporter (1990–1998) SZ supporter (2004–2011) |
| Spouse(s) |
Olga Šplíchalová (1964–1996; her death) Dagmar Veškrnová (1997–2011; his death) |
| Alma mater |
Czech Technical University Academy of Performing Arts |
| Signature |  |
| Website |
www.vaclavhavel.cz www.vaclavhavel-library.org |
Václav Havel (Czech pronunciation: [ˈvaːtslav ˈɦavɛl] (
listen); 5 October 1936 – 18 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, writer and former dissident, who served as the 1st President of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003. Prior to that he also served as the last president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until its dissolution in 1992. As a writer of Czech literature, he is known for his plays, essays, and memoirs.
His educational opportunities limited by his bourgeois background, Havel first rose to prominence within the Prague theater world as a playwright. Havel used the absurdist style in works such as The Garden Party and The Memorandum to critique communism. After participating in the Prague Spring and being blacklisted after the invasion of Czechoslovakia, he became more politically active and helped found several dissident initiatives such as Charter 77 and the Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Prosecuted. His political activities brought him under the surveillance of the secret police and he spent multiple stints in prison, the longest being nearly four years, between 1979 and 1983.
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