Our History

Co-chaired by Madeleine Albright, Laura Bush, and Dagmar Havlova, VHLF enjoys support from a diverse array of American political leaders united in their admiration for Havel’s legacy.

The Vaclav Havel Library Foundation (VHLF) was established as a nonprofit organization headquartered at the Bohemian National Hall in Manhattan, a historic center for Czech and Slovak culture in New York City for over a century. Co-chaired by Madeleine Albright, Laura Bush, and Dagmar Havlova, VHLF enjoys support from a diverse array of American political leaders united in their admiration for Havel’s legacy. The foundation’s inaugural Advisory Board meeting was held in May 2012, following the “Celebrate Havel” event at Lincoln Center, organized by various prestigious organizations. The VHLF Board of Directors was subsequently formed, and on September 11, 2012, the foundation received its official IRS 501(c)(3) charitable designation.

Established 2012

Significant milestones in VHLF’s history include a planning workshop at the New York Public Library on October 13, 2013, in collaboration with Columbia University and supported by notable foundations. This event aimed to create a working plan for gathering, sharing, digitizing, and making Havel-related materials publicly available. Additionally, VHLF played a pivotal role in the unanimous House of Representatives approval of a resolution to display a bust of Vaclav Havel in the U.S. Capitol, culminating in its dedication on November 19, 2014. As of November 14, 2023, VHLF has been officially renamed the Vaclav Havel Center (VHC), continuing its mission under a new banner.

The inaugural meeting of VHLF’s Advisory Board occurred in May 2012 following “Celebrate Havel,” an event at the Lincoln Center.

On September 11, 2012, VHLF received its official charitable designation.

The Havel Workshop in 2013 examined Vaclav Havel's legacy, focusing on his role and contributions to literature and human rights.

The Vaclav Havel Library Foundation and American Friends of the Czech Republic collaborated to have a bust of Vaclav Havel displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

A green and peaceful future is our quest.

The heroes of our story are all of us who believe that better world is not only within reach, but being built today. The demons we must wrestle are the stories that are holding back a better world: that change is “impossible”, “too expensive”, “naive”, “impractical.” Stories that are rooted in apathy, cynicism, and despair and tell all of us we’re too small, too few, too weak to change the world. We believe the story of the human journey is better than that.

Speech delivered by Seamus Heaney at the presentation of the inaugural Amnesty International ‘Ambassador of Conscience’ Award to Vaclav Havel, November 13th 2003, Dublin.