Havel

A playwright turned dissident who became President of Czechoslovakia and then of the Czech Republic after the Velvet Revolution.

Life

Playwright

Havel came from a wealthy Prague family and, because of his class background, was barred from university; he later worked in the theater and became known for his absurdist plays. In 1977 he helped draft the human rights declaration Charter 77, and was imprisoned several times.

Charter 77

During the Velvet Revolution of 1989 he led the "Civic Forum," and in December he was elected President of Czechoslovakia. After Czechoslovakia's peaceful separation in 1993, he became the first President of the Czech Republic and led the Czech Republic into NATO.

Velvet Revolution

He left office in 2003 and died in 2011.

Legacy

Havel was the most representative intellectual-turned-politician of the Revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe, and Prague's international airport is named after him.

Major works & achievements

• The Power of the Powerless

Did you know? In his 1990 New Year's address he said, "People, your government has returned to you!" The line comes from Comenius and had also been quoted by Masaryk.

Key dates

• 1977Helped draft Charter 77
• 1979Imprisoned (until 1983)
• 1989Led the Velvet Revolution; elected President
• 1993Became President of Czechia
• 2003Left office
• 2011Died