Havel Archives
The Vaclav Havel Library Foundation aims to map and document Vaclav Havel’s activities in North America. Our work complements the mission of the Vaclav Havel Library in Prague by organizing access to unique materials documenting Havel’s accomplishments and network in North America that supported his work at home. Havel Archives will be an online database pointing to the records held by North American universities, U.S. presidential libraries, journals and other media sources, and private archives. The mapping project was initiated at the planning workshop, “The Legacy and Sources of Vaclav Havel and his Era” that took place at the New York Public Library in October 2013, which was attended by a number of distinguished librarians and archival experts. The Archive will serve as the primary aid for students of anti-totalitarianism, dissidence, democracy, and East/Central European drama, as well social activists, political leaders, and the general public who are interested in Vaclav Havel. The Foundation can facilitate access to the bulk of Havel’s archives and documents in the Vaclav Havel Library in Prague.
Havel ArchivesCzechoslovakian Transition to Democracy October 21, 1991 President Havel discussed the move towards democracy and an open market taking place in Czechoslovakia. He talked about the need for investment and the many opportunities for Western business in Czechoslovakia. Mr. Havel responded to questions following his remarks. Translation for Mr. Havel’s remarks was supplied by an interpreter standing beside him at the …
Havel ArchivesOn Kafka September 27, 1990 Source: The New York Review of Books www.nybooks.com / Václav Havel, translated by Paul Wilson. The following was delivered at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem on April 26, when President Havel was awarded an honorary degree. This is far from the first honorary doctorate I have received, but I accept it with … Havel ArchivesHistory of a Public Enemy May 31, 1990 Source: The New York Review of Books www.nybooks.com / Václav Havel, translated from the Czech by Paul Wilson. We publish here excerpts from Václav Havel’s book Disturbing the Peace, whose origins are described as follows by Paul Wilson, Havel’s translator: When the Czech journalist Karel Hvízdala first proposed the idea of a book-length …
Havel ArchivesCzechoslovakian President Address February 21, 1990 The House and Senate met jointly to receive an address by His Excellency Vaclav Havel, president of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. President Havel’s speech was consecutively translated into English by an interpreter.
Havel ArchivesPresidential Departure Statements February 20, 1990 Vaclav Havel, president of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. Presidential Departure Statements. Havel ArchivesWords on Words January 18, 1990 Source: The New York Review of Books www.nybooks.com / Václav Havel received the Friedenpreis des Deutschen Buchandels, the Peace Prize of the German Booksellers Association, on October 15, 1989. He wrote the following as his acceptance speech. The prize which it is my honor to receive today is called a peace … Havel ArchivesPrisoners of Conscience February 2, 1989 Source: The New York Review of Books www.nybooks.com / Václav Havel, Jan Brabec, Ivan Lamper, David Nemec, and Petr Placak, et al. To the Editors: Ivan Jirous, a former prisoner of conscience, and Jirí Tichý are in pretrial detention after being arrested in connection with a petition critical of the CSSR government. They have … Havel ArchivesKicking the Door March 22, 1979 Source: The New York Review of Books www.nybooks.com / Václav Havel, translated from the French by Tamar Jacoby Vaclav Havel, the Czech playwright, was one of the three principal spokesmen for the Charter 77 group. Since the signing of the Charter he has been arrested three times. First imprisoned from January …