 VÁCLAV
HAVEL
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'I really do inhabit a system in which words
are capable of shaking the entire structure of
government, where words can prove mightier than
ten military divisions'
'As soon as man began considering himself the
source of the highest meaning in the world and
the measure of everything, the world began to
loose its human dimension, and man began to lose
control of it.'
Václav Havel, writer and statesman, became
famous during the Velvet Revolution, and was the
last Czechoslovak and first Czech President. He
was awarded numerous international prizes and
honorary doctorates.
He was born in Prague on October 5, 1936, in
a prominent businessman's family. From 1951 to
1966, he studied economics, worked in different
fields such as chemical laboratory, theatre, and
studied art theory at the Academy of Performing
Arts in Prague.
In 1968, he played an active role in the democratization
and renewal of culture during the era of reforms,
known as 'Prague Spring', which ended with the
Warsaw Pact invasion in August 1968.
He actively opposed the invasion and the resulting
hard-line Communist policies. In 1969, his work
was banned in Czechoslovakia. He moved from Prague
to the country, continued his activities against
the Communist regime, including hosting concerts
of banned music.
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Between 1977 and 1989, he was imprisoned several
times for his beliefs, his longest prison term
lasting from 1979 to 1983.
In November 1989, Václav Havel emerged
as one of the leaders of the November opposition
movement, also known as the Velvet Revolution,
which brought about the end of Communist rule.
He became head of the Civic Forum, becoming a
key figure of the "Velvet Revolution".
In December 1989, he was elected President of
Czechoslovakia for a term ending after parliamentary
elections were held in the country. The freely
elected Parliament re-elected him to the presidency
in July 1990 for a term of two years. As President
of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, he
established new relationships with many world
leaders and helped lay the foundations for Czechoslovakia's
new foreign policy.
In 1993, after the separation of the Czech and
Slovak republics, he was elected first President
of the Czech Republic on January 26. He was re-elected
in 1998.
After thirteen years at the head of the Czech
presidency, Sunday, February the 2nd of 2003 was
the last day in office for Václav Havel.
Havel has officially transferred 'presidential
powers' to the Prime Minister Vladímir
Špidla and the speaker of the Lower House
Lubomir Zaoralek, until the Parliament of the
Czech Republic finds a suitable candidate for
the Czech presidency.
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