Václav Havel: Letters to Olga

The exhibition will present a selection of original correspondence, with an emphasis on previously unpublished letters, samizdat editions, and exile publications, through to post-1989 editions. The exhibition Letters to Olga was created to mark 90 years since the birth of the important Czech playwright, essayist, dissident, and critic of the communist regime, Václav Havel (1936–2011).

The personality of Václav Havel is one of the most significant figures in Czech literature, culture, and public life of the second half of the 20th century. As the author of numerous plays, such as The Garden Party, The Memorandum, Audience, Vernissage, or Leaving, as well as philosophical texts, Havel significantly imprinted himself on the history of modern Czech literature and theatre.

Olga Havlová (1933–1996) was not only Václav Havel's wife but also a prominent figure in Czech dissent and civil society. It is to her that the famous Letters to Olga are addressed, which Havel wrote from prison between 1979 and 1983. Their mutual correspondence reveals a strong partnership bond, as well as the extraordinary strength and courage of a woman who managed to endure during a time of political repression. After 1989, Olga Havlová contributed to the development of philanthropy and civil solidarity in the newly democratic society.

The exhibition will present Václav Havel's letters to his wife Olga Havlová, which are part of the extensive collection of correspondence stored in the Literary Archive of the Památník národního písemnictví. This collection was acquired by the archive as a gift from Václav Havel in 1998. It contains a total of 172 letters, of which 161 date from 1979–1983, when Havel was imprisoned by the communist regime. The remaining 11 letters were written during his last several-month stay in prison in 1989. The exhibition was created by Petr Kotyk in collaboration with Tereza Zajíčková.

The exhibition will also be accessible to the public as part of the Triangl three-villa festival (Vila Lanna, Villa Pellé, and Muzeum literatury), which takes place on Saturday, September 12, 2026, and will be complemented by a rich accompanying program including guided tours, debates and readings, theatre, film screenings, and educational workshops.