Welcome at havelcenter.org

ABOUT-SMALL

What does it mean to be a global citizen?
Who stands up for human rights?
Is morality futile in today’s world?
How does theater inform politics?

Welcome at havelcenter.org to learn about the legacy and works of Vaclav Havel (1936-2011) president, dissident, and playwright whose name became synonymous with the 1989 Velvet Revolution. In that peaceful event, 15 million people began to enjoy a freer life after decades of oppression.

Discover conversations about Havel, analysis of his writings, and an examination of world events through the lens that Havel crafted—and add your own thoughts.

As Havel said, “The library’s mission is not to erect a monument to me, but to collect, publish and comment on archival records, books, and documents related to me, and to interpret…through the medium of my life story and my public activities the social processes” of the world.

The Foundation organizes access to unique materials documenting: Havel’s accomplishments and network in North America; his crucial role in creating a democratic transition in Central Europe; debates about what it means to be a global citizen in the 21st century; the place of the individual in society; and Havel’s views on faith, commerce, and power.

 “I really do inhabit a system in which words are capable of shaking the entire structure of government, where words can prove mightier than ten military divisions.”

—Vaclav Havel, 1989