Who’s Who in Citizen Havel

Ivan Medek

Head of the Department of Home Affairs in the Office of the President of the Republic (1993–96) and the President’s Chief of Staff (1996–2000). Originally a music critic and theorist, later a Charter 77 signatory, orderly in the Na Františku Hospital, Prague, dishwasher and cloakroom attendant in the Pod Kinskou restaurant, Voice of America Vienna correspondent, and Radio Free Europe commentator. After the Changes that began in mid-November 1989, worked as a consultant for the Czech Philharmonic and the Ministry of Culture, and was Chairman of the Federal Radio and Television Broadcasting Commission. Now retired. 

Anna Freimanová

Secretary to the President of the Republic. Trained as a librarian, was an assistant director at the Theatre on the Balustrade, Prague, worked in the theatre departments of the National Museum and the Municipal Library, Prague, and also as an editor of samizdat, particularly the periodical O divadle (On Theatre). Currently employed at Czech Television. Helped to set up the Aura-Pont theatre and literature agency. Has worked in the Alfréd Radok Foundation since its founding in 1991.

Egon Ditmar

Head of Protocol at the Office of the President of the Republic (1992–96). He and his colleagues were in charge of organizing the presidential agenda, including official visits, as well as making arrangements for official visits by other heads of states to this country. Adapted a number of official ceremonies for use in this country. Trained as a sociologist, now works in tourism.

Vladimír Hanzel

Head of the President’s personal office and Secretary to the President. From 1989 to 2003, was one of Havel’s closest colleagues. In 2003–06, was Director General of the office of the Minister of Education, Youth, and Sport, Petra Buzková. Since 2006, runs the Education and Culture Centre of the Jewish Museum in Prague. Had a wide variety of jobs: tram driver, janitor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University, Prague, salesman in stand in the National Museum, computer programmer, mathematician-analyst, and music critic. Compiled and edited Zrychlený tep dějin (The Quickened Pulse of History) from transcriptions of recordings between the opposition and the Communist régime in November and December 1989.

Ladislav Špaček

Spokesman of the President of the Republic and Head of the Press Department of the Office of President of the Republic (1993–2003). Trained as a teacher, began working for Czechoslovak Television in 1990. While employed at Prague Castle, accompanied President Havel to more than fifty countries, and attended hundreds of social events at various levels. Wrote and starred in the television series Etiketa a Světáci, author of the book Etiketa (Etiquette), Velká kniha etikety (The Big Book of Etiquette) and Slon v porcelánu aneb Jak se neztratit v labyrintu etikety (A Bull in a China Shop, or How Not to Lose One’s Way in the Labyrinth of Etiquette). 

Pavel Fišer

Head of Policy at the Office of the President of the Republic, 1999–2003. Today, Czech Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to France. Before being employed at Prague Castle, worked as Deputy Director of the Institute of Communication, as PA to Bishop František Lobkowicz, a teacher of French, and a manual labourer in geophysical research. 

Antonín Maněna

Chief of the Castle Police. He had known the Havels even before Charter 77 and used to borrow samizdat literature from them. After Havel was arrested, Maněna used to help Olga Havlová, and she convinced him to take up the post of running the Castle Police in 1991. He therefore gave up his job repairing factory chimneys, and began working at Prague Castle, where he remained for ten years. Still employed as a personal security officer for senior servants of the state. 

Miroslav Sklenář

Head of Protocol at the Office of the President of the Republic, 1996–2003. While employed at Prague Castle, was in charge of a team organizing various trips, visits, and events. Co-ordinated employees of the Office of the President of the Republic, the Parliament of the Czech Republic, the Civil Service, the ministries, the Police of the Czech Republic, and municipal authorities, ensuring that these events ran well. This often involved co-ordinating several hundred people, sometimes even thousands. Today, Deputy Director of Prague City Hall, in charge of PR and international relations.

Eliška Fučíková

Head of the Historical Monuments Conservation Department at the Office of the President of the Republic. Has been on the Academic Board of the National Institute of Historic Preservation, the Institute of Restoration and Conservation Techniques, Litomyšl, the National Committee of Art History, and the Bureau of the Comité International de l'Histoire de l'Art. Author of articles published internationally in scholarly journals, and of books and exhibition catalogues. 

Pavel Řechtáček ("Whinny")

the President’s chef and waiter from 1990 to 2003. Before going to the Castle, was employed in various restaurants in the centre of Prague. Was invited to work for the Head of State by his friend, Jan Sirový, who was acquainted with people around Havel. Today, Řechtáček’s culinary art and serving skills are enjoyed at the Czech Embassy in Paris. He has, one might say, moved from that the centre of power to the centre of fine dining.

Václav Klaus

Premier of the Czech Republic (1992–98), Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic (1998–2002), a jazz lover, corrector and successor. 

Miloš Zeman

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic (1996–98), Premier of the Czech Republic (1998–2002), lover of Becherovka, and a passionate political negotiator. 

Bill Clinton

President of the USA (1993–2001), saxophonist, and occasional jogger. 

Jacques Chirac

President of France (1995–2007), opponent of all things American, a lover of beer, fine European cuisine, and beautiful women. 

Madeleine Albright

US Ambassador to the UN (1993–97), US Secretary of State (1997–2001), a Czech who ran international affairs. 

fenka Ďula (pronounced Dyew-la)

a standard schnauzer, Ďula (1990–2002) belonged to Olga and Václav Havel. She was named after Gyula Horn, Hungarian Foreign Minister, 1989-94, and, later, Premier, 1994–98. From the time Olga died in January 1996 to the end of her doggie days, Ďula was looked after by Mrs Zdenka Lanková, the Havels’ former housekeeper and flower arranger at the Castle.

boxerka Šugr (pronounced lik "sugar")

was a Dagmar Veškrnová’s boxer when she married Václav Havel. Šugr (1991–2006) was named after the famous character played by Marilyn Monroe in the film Some Like It Hot. Šugr’s daughter, Madlenka (b. 1997), was named after another famous American, Madeleine Albright (see above).