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Havel's Place
The original idea for 'Havel's Place' came from the Czech Ambassador to the United States Mr. Petr Gandalovic. Bořek Šípek, the world renowned architect and designer, was invited by Mr. Gandalovic to create a piece of public art with the late President Vaclav Havel and his democratic views in mind. Mr. Šípek had overseen a decade long renovation of Prague Castle interiors as the Head Architect to President Havel in the 1990s and made a number of artefacts for his close friend. In the documentary revealing former Czech president Vaclav Havel's private moments and backroom dealings, 'Citizen Havel' (2008) created by Pavel Koutecky and Miroslav Janek, the President noted that he would like people to subconsciously connect his person with Bořek Šípek’s design and works of art.

Mr. Šípek came up with a simple yet creative design symbolising 'Democratic Debate' comprising two metal garden chairs connected to a table around a Linden Tree, the national tree of the Czech Republic. His idea was to create a gathering place in a public space to promote dialogue, discussion and freedom of speech. The author himself called the installation 'Democracy Talks' in a recent interview for iDnes on september 17th, 2013 and refers to it as "a bench", a place where people shall meet and exercise their freedom of speech in a democratic dialogue with others.

Prof. Tomas Halik, a close friend of Vaclav Havel ,in a recent interview for Czech radio broadcasted on the 5th October 2013 said about the installation “It is actually very nice that Václav Havel will not be symbolised here in the United States by some bronze monument. That would be something he would really have laughed at. This way, the bench with the two chairs symbolises the willingness to sit down at a table and talk. That is, in my opinion, another important message left by Václav Havel: Even as people of different opinions, different political beliefs and different religions, it is still immensely important to sit down at a table and talk to one another in search for the truth.”

Partner Cities
The first 'Havel's Place' was installed in the grounds of Georgetown University in Washington D.C. on the 3rd October 2013, thanks to the support of Georgetown University, Czech Embassy in Washington D.C., Vaclav Havel Library and American Friends of Czech Republic. It was dedicated by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Dagmar Havlova the late President Havel's widow. .

The first 'Havel's Place' in Europe will be installed in St. Patrick's Park in Dublin, Ireland on Human Rights Day 2013 (10th December) by the Lord Mayor of Dublin Oisin Quinn and Karel Schwarzenberg President Havel's former Chancellor and most recently Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic.

The City of Barcelona has requested to have the third 'Havel's Place'. The proposed dedication date in Barcelona is May 9th, 2014.

It is planned to dedicate many more 'Havel's Places' during 2014 - the 25th Anniversary of the 'Velvet Revolution' as the objective is to have a total of 15 ‘Havel’s Places’ installed worldwide.