Olga Havlová through the eyes of those who knew her
Text: Martina Hošková and M. Zisso; Photo: Archive
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the passing of Olga Havlová, a woman who left a profound mark on Czech society. She was not only the First Lady by Václav Havel’s side, but a person with an extraordinary sense of justice, human dignity, and compassion. The values on which she founded the ‘Committee of Good Will – Olga Havel Foundation’ continue to inspire the foundation’s work and the thousands of people it supports.
What was Olga Havlová really like? What did her friends and colleagues admire most about her? Read the memories of those who shared part of their lives with her and whose words remind us why her legacy still remains, three decades after her passing.
IVAN DOUDA
Founding member and current member of the Board of Trustees of the Committee of Good Will – Olga Havel Foundation
“Olga was extraordinarily socially sensitive. On the one hand, she was very straightforward. Everyone was a little afraid of her, and everyone respected her immensely. She was highly intelligent while also having the ability to call things exactly as they were, without embellishment.”
ANNA FREIMANOVÁ
Close friend of Olga Havlová and editor at the Václav Havel Library
“I admired Olga’s practicality, her determination to maintain a good atmosphere, support people, and create a welcoming, friendly environment. (…) Olga entered life under difficult circumstances. She had no opportunity to pursue higher education and came from a poor family. She knew how to cope with life naturally and with dignity. Through constant reading, going to the cinema and theatre, and educating herself, she was able to hold her own not only among the intellectuals around Václav Havel but also among leading artists, creators, and thinkers.”
ONDŘEJ NĚMEC
Photographer
“Olga could seem rather strict, yet she was very sociable and loved having fun. She never hesitated to make it clear when she disliked something, but she was genuinely committed to helping people. I think of Olga very often because she left a profound mark not only on my life, but on the lives of so many others.”
ANNA ŠABATOVÁ
Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Committee of Good Will – Olga Havel Foundation
“Olga approached people with humanity and practicality, without any ostentatious display of sympathy. There was a sense of equality in the way she communicated with everyone. (…) What I admired was that even after Václav Havel became President, she never abandoned her old friends, many of whom were completely ordinary people. She treated them exactly the same as she always had.”
President Václav Havel and Olga Havlová
OLGA SOMMEROVÁ
Documentary filmmaker
“She was a person of unwavering integrity. I believe she was the solid rock that everyone could rely on and lean against. (…) I have two personal saints. One is Božena Němcová, whom I think of in difficult moments of life. The other is Olga Havlová, whose photograph still stands on my desk. These are my two moral role models.”
Princes Diana, Jana Fraňková, Olga Havlová, and Věra Čáslavská
MICHAEL ŽANTOVSKÝ
Translator, writer, and diplomat
“Olga was a true lady. Not because she placed herself above others, but because she spoke to everyone directly, as an equal, eye to eye. She was a lady, and we all respected her, admired her, and were just a little afraid of her. (…) Olga also had a tremendous sense of humour. She most often directed it at her husband. She loved teasing Václav, and the more famous and important he became, the more she enjoyed doing so.”
