Prague Mourns Havel

The city of Prague continues to mourn one of its foremost heros of the 20th century - former Czech president Vaclav Have, who died on December 18 2011 aged 75. The dissident, playwright, and poet, became a political leader when the country shook off the reigns of communism in the late 1980s. He was the last president of Czechoslovakia, then becoming the first President of the Czech Republic in 1993.

The international community has expressed its sorrow, but closer to home, Praguers continue to lay flowers and candles in the man's honour across the city, including Wenceslas Square. His funeral took place on December 21 at St. Vitus Cathedral, and Havel's ashes have been laid to rest in a family tomb at Vinohrady cemetery in Prague.