Václav Havel
Czechoslovakia
5 October 1936 – 18 December 2011
was a playwright, essayist, poet, and politician
First president of Czech Republic
“Lying can never save us from another lie.” Vaclav Havel
Political Life
- moral authority
- moving use of the Czech language
- the dominant figure during Prague street demonstrations in 1989
- as the chief behind-the-scenes negotiator who brought about the end of more than 40 years of Communist rule
- Responsible for the peaceful transfer of power known as the Velvet Revolution
- a revolt so smooth that it took just weeks to complete without a single shot fired.