Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Václav Havel ya girma a cikin da'irar da ke kula da al'adun Czechoslovakia masu zaman kansu a cikin ƙalubalen tsarin kwaminisanci na lokacin. An cire shi daga babban ilimi, ya yi suna a cikin shekarun 1960 tare da wasan kwaikwayo na satirical wanda ya ba da gudummawa ga yanayin ilimi na Prague Spring. A lokacin daidaitawa bayan mamayewar Soviet
ya dauki ayyuka masu sauki yayin da aka buga aikinsa a samizdat. Ya kasance daya daga cikin kakakin farko na Yarjejeniya ta 77, kuma memba na Kwamitin Kare Masu Laifin Laifi. An yanke masa hukuncin shekaru hudu da rabi na aiki mai wuya, wanda ya haifar da lalacewar lafiyarsa. Bayan da aka sake shi a shekarar 1983 ya ci gaba da kasancewa jagora a cikin 'yan adawa da suka kai ga juyin juya halin Velvet na 1989. An zabe shi shugaban farko na Czechoslovakia mai 'yanci kuma daga bisani na Jamhuriyar Czech.