Whole day today, I have listened to tributes paid to the former president of the Czech Republic Václav Havel who died earlier today. Playwright, dissident, fighter for freedom and most of all, humanist. Quite an unlikely political figure who took his presidency on a human level.
The Czech Embassy in London has its flag flown on half mast as a sign of respect and the ambassador Michael Žantovský has spoken with such a respect and dignity about his friend. Tributes are paid from leaders from all over the world.
I was only ten when the Velvet Revolution took place in then Czechoslovakia and remember the excitement everybody had on the fall of communism, birth of democracy, even the separation that lead to creation of the Czech and Slovak Republics. All this time, Václav Havel stood at forefront as a leader and most of all a human being to whom everybody looked with adoration and respect.
The world has lost a great and much loved individual.
Update: 24 December 2011
For three days, the Czech Embassy offered writing a message into a book of condolences to whoever was interested. By the time I got there on Thursday evening I wrote into a third book. Flicking throughout all three books, one could see how much Václav Havel meant to people.
Messages written in not only Czech or English, little drawing by Czech artist living and working in London Hynek Martinec and a little shrine in front of the Embassy. How meaningful...
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