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103-657: Josten was the first Western journalist to report on the Soviet atom bomb test, organised a major international exhibition of political cartoons and ran a campaign for the release of the imprisoned dissident Vaclav Havel . Later in life, he won a degree of public recognition in the UK, but he did not live to see the eventual change of regime in Prague for which he had worked. Josef Stein was born on 25 March 1913 to Karel and Emilia Stein in Prague , then in

206-658: A New York Times Critic's Pick. In 2008, Havel became a Member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation . He met U.S. President Barack Obama in private before Obama's departure after the end of the European Union (EU) and United States (US) summit in Prague in April 2009. Havel was the chair of the Human Rights Foundation 's International Council and a member of the international advisory council of

309-537: A book by the same name (see Publications below; this was followed by a further exhibition and book 40 years later). The 1958 exhibition was officially opened by Clement Attlee . It subsequently went on tour to other countries, including the USA. In 1961, Josten came across a copy of a confidential handbook by a Czech Communist party historian, Jan Kozák, on how to take over a democratic state. He published it in Britain as "Without

412-421: A chain smoker for a long time, was diagnosed with lung cancer . The disease reappeared two years later. He quit smoking. In 1997, he remarried, to actress Dagmar Veškrnová . Havel was among those influential politicians who contributed most to the transition of NATO from being an anti- Warsaw Pact alliance to its present form. Havel advocated vigorously for the inclusion of former-Warsaw Pact members, like

515-563: A gymnasium . He completed his secondary education in 1954. For political reasons, he was not accepted into any post-secondary school with a humanities program; therefore, he opted for studies at the Faculty of Economics of the Czech Technical University in Prague but dropped out after two years. On 9 July 1964, Havel married Olga Šplíchalová . The intellectual tradition of his family was essential for Havel's lifetime adherence to

618-509: A Shot being Fired", with an introduction by Lord Morrison of Lambeth (Director of FCI from 1961 to 1965). This caused significant concern among Western governments and it ran to 34 editions in at least 14 languages. A further edition was published in the US after Josten's death, under the title of And not a shot is fired . During the 60s and 70s, Josten provided assistance to a number of asylum seekers from Central and Eastern Europe, for which he gained

721-523: A businesswoman of Conservative politics. The pair married on 6 January 1955 and their relationship appeared much more successful. Morrison's grandson Peter Mandelson was a cabinet minister in the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown . Morrison died from a stroke at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup , on 6 March 1965, aged 77. His death occurred the same month the London County Council

824-496: A different place, and in a different way, than has been the case so far. If it is to be more than just a slogan mocked by half the world, it cannot be expressed in the language of departing era, and it must not be mere froth floating on the subsiding waters of faith in a purely scientific relationship to the world." Havel was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995. In 1997, Havel received ex aequo

927-478: A legal dispute with his sister-in-law Dagmar Havlová (wife of his brother Ivan M. Havel), Havel decided to sell his 50% stake in the Lucerna Palace on Wenceslas Square in Prague, built from 1907 to 1921 by his grandfather, also named Václav Havel (spelled Vácslav,) one of the multifunctional "palaces" in the center of the once booming pre-World War II Prague. In a transaction arranged by Marián Čalfa , Havel sold

1030-507: A lie" under the Communist regime. In describing his role as a dissident, Havel wrote in 1979: "we never decided to become dissidents. We have been transformed into them, without quite knowing how, sometimes we have ended up in prison without precisely knowing how. We simply went ahead and did certain things that we felt we ought to do, and that seemed to us decent to do, nothing more nor less." Samuel Beckett 's 1982 short play, Catastrophe ,

1133-609: A major role in the Velvet Revolution that toppled the Communist system in Czechoslovakia in 1989. He assumed the presidency shortly thereafter, and was re-elected in a landslide the following year and after Slovak independence in 1993. Havel was instrumental in dismantling the Warsaw Pact and enlargement of NATO membership eastward. Many of his stances and policies, such as his opposition to Slovak independence, condemnation of

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1236-568: A modern sequel to Unveiling , and The Pig, or Václav Havel's Hunt for a Pig , which was premiered in Brno at Theatre Goose on a String and had its English language premiere at the 3LD Art & Technology Center in New York, in a production from Untitled Theater Company No. 61, in a production workshopped in the Ice Factory Festival in 2011 and later revived as a full production in 2014, becoming

1339-466: A nationalised hospital service as part of the setting up of the National Health Service . Morrison developed his social views from his work in local politics and always emphasised the importance of public works to deal with unemployment. In the final year of Attlee's premiership, Morrison had an unhappy term as Foreign Secretary . He was hailed as "Lord Festival" for his successful leadership of

1442-536: A new biography by Michael Žantovský , Yale historian Marci Shore summarized his challenges as president: "Havel's message, 'We are all responsible, we are all guilty,' was not popular. He enacted a general amnesty for all but the most serious criminals, apologized on behalf of Czechoslovakia for the post-World War II expulsion of the Sudeten Germans and resisted demands for a more draconian purge of secret police collaborators. These things were not popular either. And as

1545-576: A phrase. An online petition organized by one of the best-known Czech and Slovak film directors, Fero Fenič , calling on the government and the Parliament to rename Prague Ruzyně Airport to Václav Havel International Airport attracted—in a week after 20 December 2011—support of over 80,000 Czech Republic and foreign signatories. It was announced that the airport would be renamed the Václav Havel Airport Prague on 5 October 2012. Reviewing

1648-737: A pioneer leader in the London Labour Party. He was elected to the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney in 1919 when the Labour Party won control of the Borough, and he was Mayor in 1920–21. Morrison was a follower of Clapton Orient FC and became a shareholder in the club. He was elected to the London County Council (LCC) in 1922 and at the 1923 general election he became Member of Parliament (MP) for Hackney South , but lost that seat

1751-682: A private ceremony followed at Prague's Strašnice Crematorium . Havel's ashes were placed in the family tomb in the Vinohrady Cemetery in Prague. On 23 December 2011, the Václav Havel Tribute Concert was held in Prague's Palác Lucerna . Within hours Havel's death was met with numerous tributes, including from U.S. President Barack Obama , British Prime Minister David Cameron , German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Polish President Lech Wałęsa . Merkel called Havel "a great European", while Wałęsa said he should have been given

1854-554: A secretary and daughter of a railway clerk. The couple married on 15 March 1919. His total involvement in politics, however, meant that theirs was not a happy marriage; his later autobiography made no mention of Kent or their daughter, Mary. Morrison had a protracted affair with Labour MP and Minister Ellen Wilkinson , who died in 1947, although views differ as to whether this was a platonic or sexual relationship. Following Kent's death in July 1953, Morrison married Edith Meadowcroft (b. 1908),

1957-543: A substantial number of sex relations between white women and coloured troops and the procreation of half-caste children." That was in a memorandum for the cabinet in 1942. In 1942, Morrison was confronted with an appeal from the Central British Fund for German Jewry (now World Jewish Relief ) to admit 350 Jewish children from Vichy France . Although Case Anton ensured the scheme's failure, Morrison had been reluctant to accept it beforehand, wanting to avoid provoking

2060-507: A sweeping victory for Civic Forum and its Slovak counterpart, Public Against Violence . Between them, they commanded strong majorities in both houses of the legislature, and tallied the highest popular vote share recorded for a free election in the country. Havel retained his presidency. Despite increasing political tensions between the Czechs and the Slovaks in 1992, Havel supported the retention of

2163-458: A three-day mourning period from 21 to 23 December, the date announced by President Václav Klaus for the state funeral . The funeral Mass was held at Saint Vitus Cathedral , celebrated by the Archbishop of Prague Dominik Duka and Havel's old friend Bishop Václav Malý . During the service, a 21 gun salute was fired in the former president's honour, and in accordance with the family's request,

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2266-632: A unanimous vote of the Federal Assembly . He had long insisted that he was not interested in politics and had argued that political change in the country should be induced through autonomous civic initiatives rather than through the official institutions. In 1990, soon after his election, Havel was awarded the Prize For Freedom of the Liberal International . In 1990, Czechoslovakia held its first free elections in 44 years , resulting in

2369-513: Is his own life." Communists took the opportunity to criticize Havel. The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia 's leader Vojtěch Filip stated that Havel was a very controversial person and that his words often conflicted with his deeds. He criticized Havel for having supported the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia , repeating the charge that Havel had called the event a "humanitarian bombing", although Havel had expressly and emphatically denied ever using such

2472-571: Is known for his plays, essays and memoirs. His educational opportunities having been limited by his bourgeois background, when freedoms were limited by the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic , Havel first rose to prominence as a playwright. In works such as The Garden Party and The Memorandum , Havel used an absurdist style to criticize the Communist system. After participating in the Prague Spring and being blacklisted after

2575-636: Is the central character of Leaving , who faces a crisis after being removed from political power." The play had its English language premiere at the Orange Tree Theatre in London and its American premiere at The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia . Havel subsequently directed a film version of the play, which premiered in the Czech Republic on 22 March 2011. Other works included the short sketch Pět Tet ,

2678-672: The 1935 Labour Party leadership election but later acted as Home Secretary in the wartime coalition. Morrison organised Labour's victorious 1945 election campaign, and was appointed Leader of the House of Commons and acted as Attlee's deputy in the Attlee ministry of 1945–51. Attlee, Morrison, Ernest Bevin , Stafford Cripps , and initially Hugh Dalton formed the "Big Five" who dominated those governments. Morrison oversaw Labour's nationalisation programme, although he opposed Aneurin Bevan 's proposals for

2781-712: The County of London on 2 November 1959. He was appointed President of the British Board of Film Censors . During 1961–65, Morrison was Director of the FCI News Agency, an organisation reporting on events behind the Iron Curtain and run by exiles from Marxist regimes such as the journalist Josef Josten . While working in a market garden in Letchworth during World War One, Morrison met his first wife, Margaret Kent (1896–1953),

2884-633: The Czech and Slovak Federative Republic prior to the dissolution of the country . Havel sought re-election in 1992. Although no other candidate filed, when the vote came on 3 July, he failed to get a majority due to a lack of support from Slovak deputies. The largest Czech political party, the Civic Democratic Party , let it be known that it would not support any other candidate. After the Slovaks issued their Declaration of Independence, he resigned as president on 20 July, saying that he would not preside over

2987-523: The European Theatrical Convention . Havel went on a hunger strike in 2007 to support Kurdish doctor and human rights activist Yekta Uzunoglu in his legal battle. A former president going on a hunger strike to support the legal battle of a foreigner in his country was a first in world history. Havel's first new play in almost two decades, Leaving , was published in November 2007, and

3090-502: The Festival of Britain , a critical and popular success in 1951 that attracted millions of visitors to fun-filled educational exhibits and events in London and across the country. Morrison was widely expected to succeed Attlee as Labour leader but Attlee, who disliked him, postponed stepping down until 1955. Morrison, who was by then nearing 70 and considered too old, came a poor third in the 1955 Labour Party leadership election . Morrison

3193-793: The Gandhi Peace Prize , the Philadelphia Liberty Medal , the Order of Canada , the Four Freedoms Award , the Ambassador of Conscience Award , and the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award . The 2012–2013 academic year at the College of Europe was named in his honour. He is considered by some to be one of the most important intellectuals of the 20th century. The international airport in Prague

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3296-655: The Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize for his outstanding contributions to the well-being of the wider community. In the same year he received the Freedom medal . In 1993, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature . On 4 July 1994, Václav Havel was awarded the Philadelphia Liberty Medal . In his acceptance speech, he said: "The idea of human rights and freedoms must be an integral part of any meaningful world order. Yet I think it must be anchored in

3399-571: The Great Exhibition of 1851 . However, the plans were changed. It was not to be another World Fair , and international themes were absent; even the Commonwealth was ignored. Instead, the Festival focused entirely on Britain and its achievements; it was funded chiefly by the government, with a budget of £12 million. The Conservatives gave little support. The Labour government was losing support, and

3502-528: The Kingdom of Bohemia of Austria-Hungary . His father died when he was about five years old, and his mother became an invalid when he was a teenager, so he had to leave grammar school and find a series of jobs to support her. In his late teens he became interested in journalism, partly through following the cycling achievements of his cousin Antonín Honig . He wrote articles for several newspapers and journals using

3605-605: The Nobel Peace Prize . The Russian Embassy sent an official condolence on behalf of the President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin . Slovakia declared December 23 a day of national mourning. At the news of his death, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright , a native of Czechoslovakia, said, "He was one of the great figures of the 20th Century", while Czech expatriate novelist Milan Kundera said, "Václav Havel's most important work

3708-600: The Palestine conflict , calling for federalisation under overall British trusteeship. Morrison was a longtime sympathizer with Zionism , but the plan was ultimately rejected by both Palestinians and Zionists. Following Ernest Bevin 's resignation as Foreign Secretary, Morrison took over his role, but did not feel at ease in the Foreign Office. He took an aggressive stance against Iran 's nationalist Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq and approved his overthrow. His tenure there

3811-709: The Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism , the VIZE 97 Foundation, and the Forum 2000 annual conference. Havel's political philosophy was one of anti-consumerism , humanitarianism , environmentalism , civil activism , and direct democracy . He supported the Czech Green Party from 2004 until his death. He received numerous accolades during his lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom ,

3914-781: The Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities and the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca . In 1998, the jury of the Europe Theatre Prize awarded him a special prize by the President Jack Lang . In 2001, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . In 2002, he was the third recipient of the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award presented by the Prague Society for International Cooperation . In 2003, he

4017-523: The Velvet Revolution (and following another two amnesties declared by Havel), criminality had more than tripled since 1989. According to Havel's memoir To the Castle and Back , most of those who were released had less than a year to serve before their sentences ended, but statistics contradict Havel's claims. In an interview with Karel Hvížďala (included in To the Castle and Back ), Havel expressed his feeling that it

4120-619: The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation . Havel was a supporter of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly , an organisation which campaigns for democratic reformation of the United Nations, and the creation of a more accountable international political system. From the 1980s, Havel supported the green politics movement, partly due to his friendship with

4223-689: The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia , he became more politically active and helped found several dissident initiatives, including Charter 77 and the Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Prosecuted . His political activities brought him under the surveillance of the StB secret police, and he spent multiple periods as a political prisoner , the longest of his imprisoned terms being nearly four years, between 1979 and 1983. Havel's Civic Forum party played

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4326-400: The 'anti-foreign and anti-semitic feeling which was quite certainly latent in this country (and in some isolated cases not at all latent)'. In 1943, he ran for the post of Treasurer of the Labour Party but lost a close contest to Arthur Greenwood . Following the end of the war, Morrison was instrumental in drafting the Labour Party's 1945 manifesto Let us Face the Future . He organised

4429-406: The 1934 LCC election and Morrison became Leader of the council. This gave him control of almost all local government services in London. His main achievements here included the unification of bus, tram and trolleybus services with the Underground, by the creation of the London Passenger Transport Board (colloquially known as London Transport) in 1933, and creating the Metropolitan Green Belt around

4532-442: The 1937 local elections. For example, he stressed housing, education and his own leadership with posters featuring Morrison alongside children and with a backdrop of new LCC flats above slogans such as "Labour Puts Human Happiness First", "Labour Gets Things Done" and "Let Labour Finish the Job." In 1939, Conservative MPs defeated Herbert Morrison's bill introducing "site value rating", a tax on similar lines to Land Value Tax , in

4635-483: The Communist era. Havel felt that many of the decisions by the previous regime's courts should not be trusted, and that most of those in prison had not received fair trials. However, critics claimed that this amnesty led to a significant increase in the crime rate: the total number of crimes doubled, as did the number of murders. Several of the worst crimes in the history of the Czech criminology were committed by criminals released in this amnesty. Within four years of

4738-405: The Council of Free Czechoslovakia based in the US, Josten set up a news agency, the Free Czechoslovak Information Service (FCI). The object was to report on conditions behind the "Iron Curtain". The main focus was on Czechoslovakia, but in due course bulletins were produced about Poland, Latvia, Romania, Cuba, Tibet and other countries under Communist control, including Russia. His first major scoop

4841-421: The Czech psychedelic rock band The Plastic People of the Universe ; Havel had attended their trial, which centered on the group's non-conformity in having long hair, using obscenities in their music, and their overall involvement in the Prague underground movement. Havel co-founded the Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Prosecuted in 1979. His political activities resulted in multiple imprisonments by

4944-455: The Czech Republic, into the Western alliance. Havel was re-elected president in 1998. He had to undergo a colostomy in Innsbruck when his colon ruptured while he was on holiday in Austria. On 30 January 2003, Havel signed The letter of the eight supporting planned U.S. invasion of Iraq . Havel left office after his second term as Czech president ended on 2 February 2003. Václav Klaus , one of his greatest political adversaries,

5047-403: The European Liaison Group) with the Czech priest Father Jan Lang and the Romanian exile Ion Rațiu . He was only partly successful, but in 1977 he was presented with the Order of " Polonia Restituta" (Poland Restored) by Kazimierz Sabbat , Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile (officially recognised at that time by HM Government). In the late 70s, Josten handed over publication of

5150-401: The FCI bulletins to Geoffrey Stewart-Smith and turned his attention to the situation of political prisoners in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial journalist and broadcaster Vladimir Skutina and the playwright Václav Havel. With the help of various British politicians (notably Bernard Braine ), he publicised their plight, latterly under the banner of "CDUP" ("Campaign for the Defence of

5253-499: The Foreign Minister, Jan Masaryk , whom he had known in exile in Britain. When the February 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état took place, Josten was dismissed from his post, after transmitting the last uncensored message from President Beneš to his diplomats abroad. Patricia was able to leave immediately by plane but Josten had to walk, escaping through the Šumava forest with a group of friends to West Germany. Arriving in Britain in May 1948, in consultation with exiled politicians and

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5356-458: The MPs who had served in the previous Parliament. Both he and his supporter Hugh Dalton put some of the blame on the Masonic New Welcome Lodge , who, they claimed, backed the third-place leadership candidate Arthur Greenwood and then switched their votes to Attlee. After losing, Morrison concentrated on his LCC work. He convinced Labour to adopt the new electioneering techniques that opponents had been using, especially using advertising agencies in

5459-573: The Nazi occupiers, he had to escape, travelling first through hostile territory in Slovakia and Hungary and then to Yugoslavia. There he received help to join the French army in Lebanon, before being transported to France. As the Nazis advanced through France, he assisted with the evacuation of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile and its documents to Britain, finally boarding a British ship on 24 June 1940 and sailing for Liverpool. In England, Josten came under British army command and trained with other Czech and Polish escapees. In 1943, he married Patricia,

5562-402: The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968, Josten appeared on news media and in the daily press to provide commentaries on the event. Throughout his work as an exile, Josten made efforts to bring together exiled representatives of other Iron Curtain Countries and present a united front against their Communist régimes. This included long-running collaborations (such as the formation of

5665-426: The Theatre on Balustrade. In 1968, The Memorandum was also brought to The Public Theater in New York, which helped to establish Havel's reputation in the United States. The Public Theater continued to produce his plays in the following years. After 1968, Havel's plays were banned from the theatre world in his own country, and he was unable to leave Czechoslovakia to see any foreign performances of his works. During

5768-447: The Unjustly Prosecuted"). In March 1985, Josten was granted an MBE for "services to journalism and publishing". On 29 November 1985, still working long hours for his cause, he died of a heart attack in London. He was survived by his widow Patricia (who died in 2007) and one son, Martin. Copies of the FCI bulletin, which were donated to libraries in the US, UK and Czechia, constitute an independent weekly record of Iron Curtain events over

5871-439: The authorities, and constant government surveillance and questioning by the secret police ( Státní bezpečnost ). His longest period in prison, from May 1979 to February 1983, is documented in letters to his wife that were later published as Letters to Olga . He was known for his essays, most particularly The Power of the Powerless (1978), in which he described a societal paradigm in which citizens were forced to "live within

5974-418: The co-founder of the German Alliance 90/The Greens party Milan Horáček . From 2004 until his death, he supported the Czech Green Party . A week before his death, he met with his longtime friend, the Dalai Lama , in Prague; Havel appeared in a wheelchair. Havel died in the morning of 18 December 2011, at the age of 75, at his country home in Hrádeček . Prime Minister Petr Nečas announced

6077-436: The country's breakup. However, when the Czech Republic was created as one of two successor states, he stood for election as its first president on 26 January 1993, and won. Although he was nominally the new country's chief executive, the framers of the Constitution of the Czech Republic intended to vest most of the real power in the prime minister. However, owing to his prestige, he still commanded great moral authority , and

6180-413: The daughter of a British army officer. That same year, he was seconded to the BBC to broadcast to Czech anti-Nazi partisans on behalf of the Czech government in exile. In 1944, as a signals officer (with the rank of Lieutenant) in the Czech brigade, he was sent to France for active service. After the end of the war in Europe, the couple prepared to return to Prague. However, before that he was redeployed to

6283-421: The early 1950s and fought the 1955 election, finally announcing his retirement after Labour's defeat. Morrison was then 67, and was seen to be too old to embark on a new leadership role. During the leadership election, he was the interim Leader of the Labour Party . Although he stood, he finished last, by a wide margin, of the three candidates, with many of his supporters switching to Hugh Gaitskell . Gaitskell won

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6386-421: The election, and Morrison resigned as Deputy Leader. Ironically, Gaitskell's early death in 1963 meant he predeceased Morrison by two years. During the Suez Crisis , Morrison advocated unilateral action by the United Kingdom against Egypt, following Colonel Nasser's seizure of the Suez Canal. Morrison stood down at the 1959 general election and was made a life peer as Baron Morrison of Lambeth , of Lambeth in

6489-422: The escalation of conflicts that have religion, culture or ethnicity as their primary components". In 2005, the former president occupied the Kluge Chair for Modern Culture at the John W. Kluge Center of the United States Library of Congress , where he continued his research on human rights. In November and December 2006, Havel spent eight weeks as a visiting artist in residence at Columbia University . The stay

6592-429: The estate to Václav Junek , a former Communist spy in France and head of the soon-to-be bankrupt conglomerate Chemapol Group, who later openly admitted that he bribed politicians of the Czech Social Democratic Party . His close friend was Ivan Medek , who became the chief of the president's office. In January 1996, Olga Havlová , his wife of 32 years, died of cancer at 62. In December 1996, Havel who had been

6695-493: The first week of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968, Havel assisted the resistance by providing an on-air narrative via Radio Free Czechoslovakia station (at Liberec ). Following the suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968, he was banned from the theatre and became more politically active. He took a job at Krakonoš brewery in Trutnov , an experience he wrote about in his play Audience . This play, along with two other "Vaněk" plays (so-called because of

6798-414: The following year when Ramsay MacDonald 's first administration lost the general election. Morrison returned to Parliament in the 1929 general election, and MacDonald appointed him Minister of Transport. Morrison, like many others in the party, was deeply disheartened by MacDonald's national government, and he lost his seat again in 1931. Morrison continued to sit on the London County Council and in 1933

6901-435: The general election campaign and enlisted the help of left-wing cartoonist Philip Zec , with whom he had clashed during the early stages of the war when, as Minister of Supply, he took exception to an illustration commenting on the costs of supplying the country with petrol. Labour won a massive and unexpected victory, and Morrison was appointed Leader of the House of Commons, having switched his own seat to Lewisham East . He

7004-563: The government took full ownership of each affected company, consolidating it into a national monopoly. The management remained the same, only now they became public servants working for the government. For the Labour Party leadership, nationalisation was a method to consolidate national planning in their own hands. It was not designed to modernise old industries, make them efficient, or transform their organisational structure. In July 1946, Morrison, together with US ambassador Henry F. Grady proposed "The Morrison-Grady Plan ", intended to resolve

7107-432: The government undertook privatization and restitution, Havel confronted pyramid schemes, financial corruption and robber baron capitalism. He saw his country fall apart (if bloodlessly), becoming in 1993 the Czech Republic and Slovakia." Havel was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1983. In 1986, Havel received the Erasmus Prize , in 1989 the Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels , and in 1990, he received

7210-447: The highest point of Prague—next door to which his uncle, Miloš Havel , built one of the largest film studios in Europe. Havel's mother, Božena Vavrečková, also came from an influential family; her father was a Czechoslovak ambassador and a well-known journalist. In the early 1950s, because of his class background , Havel entered into a four-year apprenticeship as a chemical laboratory assistant and simultaneously took evening classes at

7313-463: The humanitarian values of the Czech culture. After finishing his military service (1957–59), Havel had to bring his intellectual ambitions in line with the given circumstances, especially with the restrictions imposed on him as a descendant of a bourgeois family. He found employment in Prague's theatre world as a stagehand at Prague's Theatre ABC – Divadlo ABC , and then at the Theatre on Balustrade – Divadlo Na zábradlí . Simultaneously, he

7416-455: The implicit goal of the festival was to give the people a feeling of successful recovery from the war's devastation, as well as promoting British science, technology, industrial design, architecture and the arts. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan says the Festival was a "triumphant success" as thousands: Although Morrison had effectively been Attlee's heir presumptive since the 1930s, Attlee had always distrusted him. Attlee remained as Leader through

7519-586: The nature of wartime circumstances. On 21 January 1941, he banned the Daily Worker for opposing war with Germany and supporting the Soviet Union. The ban lasted for a total of 18 months before it was rescinded. The arrival of black American troops caused concern in the government, leading Morrison, the Home Secretary, to comment "I am fully conscious that a difficult social problem might be created if there were

7622-565: The newly independent Czech army as a war correspondent, based in Luxembourg from 1945 to 1947. There he set up broadcasts of news, advice and directions to large numbers of Czechs who had been deported to work in German factories. Patricia briefly became an announcer with Radio Luxembourg. In 1947 they moved to a flat in Prague. Josten obtained a post in the Foreign Ministry as a press assistant to

7725-691: The old London County Council area. In 1945 he attended the World Trade Union Conference at County Hall . By the late 1960s, long after Morrison had left the leadership of the London County Council, London Conservatives frequently accused him of seeking to "build the Tories out of London", the implication being that the LCC would deliberately build council houses in order to affect local voting patterns. His biographers, Bernard Donoghue and George W. Jones , have written that "Morrison never said or wrote"

7828-483: The period 1948–1979. In 1995, Patricia was invited to Prague Castle to receive the Czech Medal of Merit , 1st class, from Czech President Václav Havel , in posthumous recognition of her husband's work for freedom. Some of Josten's publications are as follows. Vaclav Havel Václav Havel ( Czech pronunciation: [ˈvaːtslav ˈɦavɛl] ; 5 October 1936 – 18 December 2011)

7931-610: The presidency acquired a greater role than the framers intended. For instance, largely due to his influence, the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM), successor to the KSC's branch in the Czech Lands, was kept on the margins for most of his presidency. Havel suspected that the KSCM was still an unreformed Stalinist party. Havel's popularity abroad surpassed his popularity at home, and he

8034-497: The pseudonym "Josten" (short for Josef Stein), eventually adopting this as his surname. In 1938, he joined the staff of the national daily Lidové Noviny (People's News). When the German occupation of Czechoslovakia took place in 1939, Josten joined an underground organisation, helping young Czechs to escape from the occupation and join the Allied forces. When his activities became apparent to

8137-468: The recurring character Ferdinand Vaněk , a stand in for Havel), became distributed in samizdat form across Czechoslovakia, and greatly added to Havel's reputation of being a leading dissident (several other Czech writers later wrote their own plays featuring Vaněk). This reputation was cemented with the publication of the Charter 77 manifesto , written partially in response to the imprisonment of members of

8240-411: The reputation of "The Czech Scarlet Pimpernel". A measure of his unpopularity with the Prague régime was the account by a defecting Czech intelligence agent, Josef Frolik . According to Frolik, Josten had more than once been put down for assassination - once at the personal request of President Novotný . This was later corroborated by information from another defecting agent, Franti š ek August. Following

8343-650: The sight in his right eye due to infection. He attended Stockwell Road Primary School and, from the age of 11, St Andrew's Church of England School. He left school at 14 to become an errand boy. His early politics were radical, and he briefly flirted with the Social Democratic Federation over the Independent Labour Party (ILP). As a conscientious objector , he worked in a market garden in Letchworth in World War One. Morrison eventually became

8446-526: The suburbs. He confronted the Government over its refusal to finance the replacement of Waterloo Bridge , and eventually they agreed to pay 60% of the cost of the new bridge. In the 1935 election, Morrison was once again elected to the House of Commons and immediately challenged Attlee for the leadership of the party. He was defeated by a wide margin in the final ballot, a defeat ascribed to his unfamiliarity with

8549-422: The treatment of Sudeten Germans and their mass expulsion from Czechoslovakia after World War II , as well as granting of general amnesty to all those imprisoned under the Communist era, were very controversial domestically. By the end of his presidency, he enjoyed greater popularity abroad than at home. Havel continued his life as a public intellectual after his presidency, launching several initiatives including

8652-646: The words attributed to him. In 1940, Morrison was appointed the first Minister of Supply by Winston Churchill , but shortly afterwards succeeded John Anderson as Home Secretary. Morrison's London experience in local government was particularly useful during the Blitz , and the Morrison shelter was named after him. He made radio appeals for more fire guards in December 1940 ('Britain shall not burn'). Morrison had to take many potentially unpopular and controversial decisions by

8755-430: Was a Czech statesman, author , poet , playwright , and dissident . Havel served as the last president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until 1992, prior to the dissolution of Czechoslovakia on 31 December, before he became the first president of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003. He was the first democratically elected president of either country after the fall of communism . As a writer of Czech literature , he

8858-630: Was a British politician who held a variety of senior positions in the Cabinet as a member of the Labour Party . During the inter-war period, he was Minister of Transport during the Second MacDonald ministry , then after losing his parliamentary seat in the 1931 general election , he became Leader of the London County Council in the 1930s. After returning to the Commons, he was defeated by Clement Attlee in

8961-680: Was a member of the World Future Society and addressed the Society's members on 4 July 1994. His speech was later printed in THE FUTURIST magazine (July 1995). Havel was greatly admired by Czech citizens. In the poll taken for the 2005 TV show Největší Čech (the Czech spin-off of the BBC 100 Greatest Britons ), Havel placed third. Havel's memoir of his experience as president, To the Castle and Back ,

9064-717: Was a student of dramatic arts by correspondence at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU). His first own full-length play performed in public, besides various vaudeville collaborations, was The Garden Party (1963). Presented in a series of Theatre of the Absurd , at the Theatre on Balustrade, this play won him international acclaim. The play was soon followed by The Memorandum , one of his best known plays, and The Increased Difficulty of Concentration , all at

9167-707: Was appointed as an honorary Companion of the Order of Canada . In 2008 he was also awarded the Giuseppe Motta Medal for support for peace and democracy. As a former Czech President , Havel was a member of the Club of Madrid . In 2009 he was awarded the Quadriga Award , but decided to return it in 2011 following the announcement of Vladimir Putin as one of the 2011 award recipients. Herbert Morrison Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison of Lambeth , CH , PC (3 January 1888 – 6 March 1965)

9270-545: Was awarded the International Gandhi Peace Prize by the government of India for his outstanding contribution towards world peace and upholding human rights in most difficult situations through Gandhian means; he was the inaugural recipient of Amnesty International 's Ambassador of Conscience Award for his work in promoting human rights; he received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom ; and he

9373-461: Was born in Stockwell, Lambeth, London , youngest child (there being three boys and four girls) of police constable Henry Morrison (died 1917) and Priscilla Caroline, née Lyon (died 1907), daughter of an East End carpet fitter. Henry Morrison had a "weakness for the bottle", and held Conservative political opinions with which his son would later come to disagree strongly. As a baby, he permanently lost

9476-576: Was breaking the story of the Soviet atom bomb test in 1949. He published weekly bulletins in both Czech ("Čechoslovák") and English ("FCI"), and ran many campaigns to discredit the Czech Communist régime. Josten vehemently opposed any form of accommodation with Communist régimes and was sometimes criticised for being too rigid in his views. In 1958, Josten organised an international exhibition of political cartoons, The Great Challenge, in London, and published

9579-516: Was cut short by Labour's defeat in the 1951 general election, and he was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in November that year. Morrison lacked a deep concern for foreign affairs, but he was an enthusiastic leader of a major domestic project, the Festival of Britain . Starting in 1947, he was the prime mover of the 1951 fair. The original goal was to celebrate the centenary of

9682-516: Was dedicated to Havel while he was held as a political prisoner in Czechoslovakia. Havel wrote the short play Mistake in response to Beckett. Both plays were published by Index on Censorship , which in 2022 requested a followup play on similar themes from the Iranian playwright Reza Shirmarz . On 29 December 1989, while he was leader of the Civic Forum , Havel became President of Czechoslovakia by

9785-447: Was elected his successor as president on 28 February 2003. Margaret Thatcher wrote of the two men in her foreign policy treatise Statecraft , reserving the greater respect for Havel. Havel's dedication to democracy and his steadfast opposition to communist ideology earned him admiration. Beginning in 1997, Havel hosted Forum 2000, an annual conference to "identify the key issues facing civilisation and to explore ways to prevent

9888-601: Was elected to lead the Labour Group. He wrote a book Socialisation and Transport : the Organisation of Socialised Industries with Particular Reference to the London Passenger Transport Bill which encapsulated his ideas on nationalisation. Managers would be appointed to run monopoly industries in the public interest. He did not, however, envisage democratic control by the workers. Unexpectedly, Labour won

9991-631: Was his most important accomplishment as president to have contributed to the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact . According to his statement the dissolution was very complicated. The infrastructure created by the Warsaw Pact was part of the economies of all member states, and the Pact's dissolution necessitated restructuring that took many years to complete. Furthermore, it took time to dismantle the Warsaw Pact's institutions; for example, it took two years for Soviet troops to fully withdraw from Czechoslovakia. Following

10094-456: Was often the object of controversy and criticism. During his time in office, Havel stated that the expulsion of the indigenous Sudeten German population after World War II was immoral, causing a great controversy at home. He also extended general amnesty as one of his first acts as president, in an attempt to lessen the pressure in overcrowded prisons as well as to release political prisoners and persons who may have been falsely imprisoned during

10197-590: Was published in May 2007. The book mixes an interview in the style of Disturbing the Peace with actual memoranda he sent to his staff and modern diary entries and recollections. On 4 August 2007, Havel met with members of the Belarus Free Theatre at his summer cottage in the Czech Republic in a show of his continuing support, which has been instrumental in the theatre's attaining international recognition and membership in

10300-444: Was renamed Václav Havel Airport Prague in 2012. Havel was born in Prague on 5 October 1936 into a wealthy family celebrated in Czechoslovakia for its entrepreneurial and cultural accomplishments. His grandfather, Vácslav Havel, a real estate developer, built a landmark entertainment complex on Prague's Wenceslas Square. His father, Václav Maria Havel, was the real estate developer behind the suburban Barrandov Terraces , located on

10403-652: Was sponsored by the Columbia Arts Initiative and featured "performances, and panels centr[ing] on his life and ideas", including a public "conversation" with former U.S. President Bill Clinton . Concurrently, the Untitled Theater Company No. 61 launched a Havel Festival, the first complete festival of his plays in various venues throughout New York City, including The Brick Theater and the Ohio Theatre, in celebration of his 70th birthday. Havel

10506-513: Was the chief sponsor of the Festival of Britain . Morrison supervised the major Labour programme of nationalising large sectors of industry. As Lord President he chaired the committee on the Socialization of Industries, and followed the model that was already in place of setting up public corporations, such as the BBC in broadcasting (1927). The owners of corporate stock were given government bonds, and

10609-602: Was to have had its world premiere in June 2008 at the Prague Vinohrady Theatre , but the theater withdrew it in December as it felt it could not provide the technical support needed to mount the play. The play instead premiered on 22 May 2008 at the Archa Theatre to standing ovations. Havel based the play on King Lear , by William Shakespeare , and on The Cherry Orchard , by Anton Chekhov ; "Chancellor Vilém Rieger

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