Born in
Prague in 1936, Václav Havel grew up in a well-known entrepreneurial
and intellectual family. Because of his family’s status in Czech
society, the communist government denied Havel the opportunity to
pursue a university education.
Starting
when he was 20, Havel published a number of studies and articles.
Havel’s writings and his philosophical values were important
to transformation of Czech society. Throughout his career, Havel remained
steadfast in his opposition to political repression. He was imprisoned
three times for his expressing his views and spent nearly five years
in prison. The culmination of his activities resulted in his writing
Charter 77. Published in January of 1977, Chapter 77 embodied the
political will of the Czech people as well as providing a name for
a new political movement.
In
November of 1989, the Civic Forum, an umbrella group for organizations
and individuals who demanded fundamental changes in the Czechoslovak
political system, was created. Václav Havel became its leading
figure. The social upheaval in Czechoslovakia came to a climax on
December 29th, 1989, when Václav Havel, as the candidate of
Civic Forum, was elected President by the Federal Assembly of Czechoslovakia.
In his inaugural address, he promised to lead the nation to free elections,
which he fulfilled in the summer of 1990.
He
was elected to the Czechoslovak Presidency a second time by the Federal
Assembly in July 1990 and became the first President of the independent
Czech Republic in January 1993. He resigned the Presidency in July
the same year and was re-elected President by both Chambers of Parliament
in 1998.
Due
to his unyielding political stance through the years of communist
totality, Václav Havel has become a recognized moral authority.
For his literary and dramatic works and for his position on the upholding
of human rights, Václav Havel is the recipient of a number
of state decorations, international awards and honorary doctorates.
