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Czechs remember late president Vaclav Havel

Czechs remember late president Vaclav Havel | iNFOnews.ca
Widow of late Czech Republic's President Vaclav Havel, Dagmar Havlova poses for a photo by a memorial that was unveiled on the eve of 80th anniversary of his birth in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – A small square by the National Theater in Prague has been named after Vaclav Havel at a ceremony to mark what would have been the late president’s 80th birthday.

Havel was a dissident playwright who led the 1989 Velvet Revolution that toppled four decades of communist rule in what was then Czechoslovakia before becoming the Czech Republic’s first president. He died on Dec. 18, 2011, at age 75.

Havel’s widow, Dagmar, and Culture Minister Daniel Herman unveiled a heart-shaped memorial to Havel by artist Kurt Gebauer at the National Theater plaza.

Havel used to draw a small heart next to his signature.

The ceremony kicked off numerous events being held across the country in Havel’s memory.

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