UPDATE 1 -- Former Czech President Vaclav Havel dead at 75

[News_Editor]

UPDATE 1 -- Former Czech President Vaclav Havel dead at 75

2011-12-18 22:47:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

PRAGUE (BNO NEWS) -- Former Czech President Vaclav Havel, the playwright dissident who led his country out of communism, died in the northern Czech Republic on Sunday morning. He was 75.

The statesman died in his sleep at around 10.15 a.m. local time while with his wife Dagmara and a nun who had been caring for him, according to his secretary Sabina TanÄevová. She said he died at his country house in the northern village of HrádeÄek, which is located in the Trutnov District near the border with Poland.

Havel was a key figure in recent European history. He was born in Prague in October 1936 as the child of a wealthy and well-known family which was closely linked to political events in Czechoslovakia (present day Czech Republic and Slovakia). Because of his 'bourgeois' background, the communists did not allow him to study formally after having completed required schooling in 1951.

Instead, Havel started working as a chemical laboratory technician while attending evening classes at a high school from which he graduated in 1954. For political reasons he was not accepted into any post-secondary school with a humanities program and therefore opted to study at the Faculty of Economics of the Czech Technical University.

After leaving the program in 1957, Havel entered military service in the Czechoslovak Army for two years while working on his first literary. When he returned in 1960, Havel began working at Prague's Theater on the Balustrade, first as a stagehand and later as an assistant director and literary manager.

Soon later, from 1962 until 1966, Havel studied dramatic art theory at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He also had his first plays produced, such as 'The Memorandum', achieving his first major international success. In 1964, he married Olga Splichalova who he had met eight years earlier and described as his 'indispensable source of support.'

Havel became actively involved in politics in 1968 when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia to crush the so-called 'Prague Spring', a period of political liberalization led by Alexander DubÄek, the then-First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, who introduced free speech and freedom of assembly.

Havel played an active role in the democratization and renewal of culture and he actively opposed the invasion which resulted in hard-line Communist policies. As a result, his work was banned in Czechoslovakia and he was forced to move from Prague to the country, where he continued his activities against the Communist regime by producing underground essays and hosting concerts of banned music.

In 1975, Havel wrote an open letter to President Gustáv Husák in which he warned of the increasing opposition against communism in Czechoslovak society. It resulted in the human rights manifesto 'Charter 77' which he co-authored and was published in January 1977.

Charter 77, which drew attention in the West, embodied the character of the Czechoslovak population which silently protested against the communist government and resultant oppression. Havel was one of the founders of this initiative, which provided a name for the movement, and one of its first three spokesmen.

But his increasing political activities did not pass unnoticed by the communist government, which sought to crush any opposition against its rule. Havel was imprisoned three times for his views and spent nearly five years behind bars during which the authorities made it impossible for him to publish any texts. But his letters from prison to his wife Olga would later become famous.

In the second half of the 1980s, an increasing number of citizens spoke out against the communist regime and its repressive policies. This was reflected in the petition of "A Few Sentences", which Havel co-authored and was signed by about 10,000 Czechoslovaks. Charter 77 had only a few hundred signatories.

The events of November 17, 1989, would set the stage for the non-violent Velvet Revolution. On November 17, on the anniversary of the closure of Czechoslovak post-secondary schools by the Nazis, thousands of students took to the street of Prague but were brutally suppressed by riot police.

Rumors spread that at least two student protesters had been killed by riot police. Although the reports were false, the reports increased outrage and persuaded hesitant citizens to overcome their fear and join the opposition. Students and theaters decided to go on a strike the next day.

On November 19, during a meeting of the Drama Club at a Prague theater, Havel and other prominent members established the so-called Civic Forum which would become an umbrella group for organizations and individuals who demanded fundamental changes in the country's political system. Havel was its leading figure.

The next day, hundreds of thousands of people protested in Prague and non-violent protests also spread to the city of Bratislava, which today is the capital of Slovakia. Students and theaters declared a permanent strike and Civic Forum representatives negotiated unofficially with Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec.

During the following days, protests spread throughout the country and an estimated 75 percent of the working population took part in a two-hour general strike on November 27. Two days later, the country's Federal Assembly abolished the constitutional article about the leading role of the Communist Party and Havel was elected president.

Weeks later, on December 10, President Gustáv Husák swore in the new government and resigned shortly afterward. Havel, in his inaugural address, promised to lead the nation to free elections which took place in the summer of 1990. He was elected to the presidency by the Federal Assembly for a second time on July 5 of that year.

But just two years later, after parliamentary elections, the strongest contingents failed to agree on a functional model of the Federation and, as a direct result of this, the rift between Czech and Slovak political factions widened and failed to provide Havel with the required number of votes in the presidential elections of July 3, 1992. He resigned days later as it became clear Czechoslovak was heading for a split, which he considered a personal failure.

After leaving office, Havel retired from public life for a while but remained extremely popular. In November 1992, he confirmed he would be seeking the Presidency of the independent Czech state. The official nomination of his candidacy was submitted on January 18, 1993, and Havel was elected president by the Chamber of Deputies a week later.

In January 1996, Havel's first wife Olga, who dedicated her time primarily to charitable activities, died after a long battle with cancer. Just months later, Havel suffered another blow when doctors discovered and then removed a malignant tumor in his lungs, which caused him to lose a third of his right lung.

During his illness, Havel's main source of support was his friend Dagmar Veskrnova, whom he married in January 1997 after he was released from hospital. But his lung cancer and a burst intestine left him frail for the rest of his life.

Although losing some of his allure, Havel was re-elected to the presidency in January 1998 and continued to serve until February 2003. He focused his later activities on the respect of human rights worldwide, particularly in Cuba, Belarus and Burma, as well as his literary work.

In late 2007, he returned to the stage and published a new play, "Leaving," about a leader who faces a crisis after being removed from power. It had its world premiere in May 2008 to standing ovations.

Havel was 75.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-12-18

[Scott]

I am surprised that the death of the North Korean leader has drawn so much attention, but the passing of a leader with much better credentials goes largely ignored.

Rest In Peace.

[HKBKK]

I am surprised that the death of the North Korean leader has drawn so much attention, but the passing of a leader with much better credentials goes largely ignored.

Rest In Peace.

It is ignored here on thaivisa.com which doesn't surprise me at all...

Vaclav Havel was a great man and I, as a Czech, was very proud of him.

Rest In Peace, Mr. President, and THANK YOU!

[Scott]

My condolences to you and your countrymen. You were fortunate to have him; any country would have been.

[Steely Dan]

Apparently he was best friends with Frank Zappa, which makes him cool as well as a great leader. The timing of his death was unfortunate being so close to that of the North Korean loon, so everyone was apparently distracted, similar to Mother Theresa of Calcutta who was upstaged by Princess Diana.

[maidu]

He was one of the very few leaders who was brave enough to stand up to the bullying might of China, and declare recognition of Tibet.

That's reason enough for me to admire the man.

[HKBKK]

My condolences to you and your countrymen. You were fortunate to have him; any country would have been.

Thank you very much, Scott, it's very much appreciated. Also, I'd like to share my personal story with Vaclav Havel...

I met Vaclav Havel in Ruzyne prison in 1989. I was just 18 at that time and the communist police locked me up for selling banned music records and books on the black market. I used to buy and sell things like that since I was 16 years old and got arrested a few times before. It was usually just a beating at STB (state police) headquarters at Bartolomejska St. and a fine for me but in the Spring 1989 they put me on remand...I was already 18 so I was with the real criminals-rapists, murderers and so on. Great experience for a young, first-time offender...

One day I went to see the doctor and during that visit I met Vaclav Havel (at that time I didn't know who he was). He was watched by 4-6 screws all the time and, as a political prisoner no.1, he wasn't allowed to speak to anyone. But we said hello to each other anyway and he asked me why I was there and what have I done. I explained him my situation and he started to comfort me...he said that as a first-time offender and so young I shouldn't get more than a year with a possible early release after half. That was the only time I got to speak with this great man...And he was right, I got a year in prison. However, I didn't qualify for an early release due to the fighting (nothing actually happened to me, someone tried to bully me but I used to play rugby for Slavia Prague so it was the bully who got hurt lol) but I was eventually released on 1.1.1990 on amnesty given by the new President Vaclav Havel! Many prisoners went home at that time, all political prisoners in November and December 1989 and many others in January 1990. Some people in the Czech Republic still believe that all murderers and other hardened criminals were released but that wasn't the case, they only got one year off while others like thieves and other small-time criminals got 2-3 years off. Not a big deal actually, because people were getting many years in prison for really stupid things at that time...

I've seen him on several occasions since 1989 (I've been to all of his presidential inaugurations and I've also seen him on many rock concerts) but never got the chance to speak with him again...

Some news from the Czech Republic...Vaclav Havel will have a state funeral on Friday 23rd of December and there will be a state mourning for 3 days on 21st, 22nd and 23rd of December.

[HKBKK]

Apparently he was best friends with Frank Zappa, which makes him cool as well as a great leader. The timing of his death was unfortunate being so close to that of the North Korean loon, so everyone was apparently distracted, similar to Mother Theresa of Calcutta who was upstaged by Princess Diana.

Frank Zappa was very popular in Czechoslovakia (in certain circles-communists hated him, of course) and Vaclav Havel liked him very much too. I remember how difficult it was to get his records at that time (illegally, of course) and how expensive it was. We used to buy his records for whatever money, made copies on tapes and sold it back. I like Frank Zappa too, I don't know if I have all of his CDs but most of it for sure. I was very lucky to see him in Prague, that concert was really something! Too bad he died so young, he was a great artist...

As for that North Korean tyrant's death, at least he's gone and now there's a (very little) chance for the change in that sad country...

[HKBKK]

He was one of the very few leaders who was brave enough to stand up to the bullying might of China, and declare recognition of Tibet.

That's reason enough for me to admire the man.

Funny thing in the Czech Republic...Every year on 10/3 (March) there are thousands of Tibetan flags flying from many official! buildings (even Senate)...and Chinese communists go nuts

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Vaclav Havel were friends for many years and have met many times in Prague (the last time on Dec 10, just 8 days before Vaclav Havel died...)

I hope that one day Tibet will be free again but I don't think I'll live to see that

[puck2]

I am surprised that the death of the North Korean leader has drawn so much attention, but the passing of a leader with much better credentials goes largely ignored.

Rest In Peace.

It is ignored here on thaivisa.com which doesn't surprise me at all...

Vaclav Havel was a great man and I, as a Czech, was very proud of him.

Rest In Peace, Mr. President, and THANK YOU!

Kim Jong-il died, not bad news, ….. what's the weather like ?…

Vaclav Havel left us for ever, that's aching in my heart. He belongs to the few admirable personalities with an unbowed character.

As a German I say Thank You for your policy of reconciliation. I mourn together with your people.