Who was Václav Havel?
Q: Who was Václav Havel?
A: Václav Havel was a Czech playwright, essayist, dissident and politician. He served as the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia from 1989-1992 and then became the first President of the Czech Republic from 1993-2003.
Q: What did he write?
A: Havel wrote more than twenty plays and many non-fiction works, many of which were translated into multiple languages. Beginning in the 1960s, most of his writings focused on politics in Czechoslovakia.
Q: How did he become famous internationally?
A: In 1977, Havel became famous internationally for his work on the human rights manifesto Charter 77. He also became known as a leader of the opposition in Czechoslovakia and was sent to prison for these activities.
Q: What happened during the "Velvet Revolution"?
A: During the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Havel became president and led Czechoslovakia (and later the Czech Republic) to an open democracy with several political parties.
Q: What changes occurred during his presidency?
A: During his thirteen years as president, The Czech Republic separated from Slovakia (even though Havel was against separation), joined NATO, started negotiating membership in the European Union (which it eventually achieved in 2004), and signed The Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism.
Q: What is The Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism?
A: The Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism is a document that calls for recognition of Communist crimes committed throughout Europe between 1945-1989 by governments that had been installed by Soviet occupation forces or their proxies. It also calls for education about these crimes so they are not forgotten or repeated again in future generations.
