Václav Havel

Václav Havel (1936-2011) was born in Prague into a wealthy upper-middle-class family. At the age of twelve, he left school and worked in manual labor. Later, he continued his education at a private school. By 1967, he had been arrested three times for his involvement in dissident activities and spent nearly five years in prison. He actively participated in the "Velvet Revolution" in Czechoslovakia. In 1989, he was elected President of the Federal Government, and in 1993, he became the first President of the Czech Republic. He resigned from this position in 2003. Regarding his plays, which were labeled "political," he clarified: "Theater reveals the truth about politics: politics itself is the goal." He passed away on December 18, 2011, at the age of 75, in his hometown of Hradecek.