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From the archive, 11 September 1969: Václav Havel barred from travelling abroad From the archive, 11 September 1969: Václav Havel barred from travelling abroad
(7 days later)
Czechoslovakia's most brilliant playwright, Václav Havel, has been prevented from travelling to Vienna to collect the Austrian State Prize for European Literature which he has been awarded this year.Czechoslovakia's most brilliant playwright, Václav Havel, has been prevented from travelling to Vienna to collect the Austrian State Prize for European Literature which he has been awarded this year.
Havel, whose plays "The Garden Party" and "The Memorandum," with its hilarious pantomime of bureaucratic neuroses, have been published and performed successfully all over the world, spoke out against the Soviet diktat and the steady dismantling of last year's reforms long after others had given up the rash and unequal struggle.Havel, whose plays "The Garden Party" and "The Memorandum," with its hilarious pantomime of bureaucratic neuroses, have been published and performed successfully all over the world, spoke out against the Soviet diktat and the steady dismantling of last year's reforms long after others had given up the rash and unequal struggle.
Before the Writers' Union journal "Listy" was banned, he caused a sensation by reporting that his flat had been bugged, and some time after Dr Husak came to power, he was accused of helping to organise protest meetings outside factories and of speaking against the official line.Before the Writers' Union journal "Listy" was banned, he caused a sensation by reporting that his flat had been bugged, and some time after Dr Husak came to power, he was accused of helping to organise protest meetings outside factories and of speaking against the official line.
Intellectuals generally have been under heavy and increasing pressure in Prague recently. The new Czech Minister of Education and other hardline speakers have threatened purges in the schools and universities, and the radio and party press have been full of broadcast charges of "elitism" and "snobbism" in intellectual quarters.Intellectuals generally have been under heavy and increasing pressure in Prague recently. The new Czech Minister of Education and other hardline speakers have threatened purges in the schools and universities, and the radio and party press have been full of broadcast charges of "elitism" and "snobbism" in intellectual quarters.
The central power struggle for the scalps of the top political leaders of last year's reform movement came briefly into the open yesterday. The attacks on Mr Dubcek, who is said to have refused at a recent Praesidium meeting to perform the traditional rites of public "self-criticism" have been resumed in "Tribuna." The Prime Minister, Mr Cernik, whose partial recantation was welcomed by other conservative speakers, was also criticised for equivocating over the "2,000 Words" pamphlet in which radical intellectuals last year called for a speeding of Mr Dubcek's reforms.The central power struggle for the scalps of the top political leaders of last year's reform movement came briefly into the open yesterday. The attacks on Mr Dubcek, who is said to have refused at a recent Praesidium meeting to perform the traditional rites of public "self-criticism" have been resumed in "Tribuna." The Prime Minister, Mr Cernik, whose partial recantation was welcomed by other conservative speakers, was also criticised for equivocating over the "2,000 Words" pamphlet in which radical intellectuals last year called for a speeding of Mr Dubcek's reforms.
Since Mr Cernik once stood close to Mr Dubcek, and was the general manager of last year's economic reforms which are being blamed for the post-invasion crisis in the country's economy, he might seem to be a likely target now, but he has since strongly endorsed Dr Husak's hard line, and has not up till now been lumped in with the other reformers as guilty men.Since Mr Cernik once stood close to Mr Dubcek, and was the general manager of last year's economic reforms which are being blamed for the post-invasion crisis in the country's economy, he might seem to be a likely target now, but he has since strongly endorsed Dr Husak's hard line, and has not up till now been lumped in with the other reformers as guilty men.
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