Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

---

Intellectual, poet, and playwright Václav Havel began life on the fringes of Communist Czechoslovakia. Alongside fellow dissidents, Václav played a vital role in the Velvet Revolution, peacefully toppling the communist state and becoming the first president of the newly founded country. Today he is remembered for his moral integrity and biting critique of the spiritual oppression inherent in the communist system.

A full transcript of this show is available here: libertarianism.org/podcasts/portraits-liberty/poet-turned-president-vaclav-havel