Czech Republic: Mass this evening commemorates President Václav Havel

Former Czech President Václav Havel, who passed away three years ago today in his cottage in the town of Hrádeček (Trutnov district), is being commemorated there through the lighting of dozens of candles and the placing of various heart-shaped objects. People have been stopping by the cottage since morning to light candles.

Near the cottage barn someone has left a wooden sculpture with a heart shape carved out of it. Red hearts have placed on the fence, one of which reads "We thank you and will never forget you, Mr President".

Above the wooden doors of the barn a drawing of Havel has been hung with the inscription "We Remember". During the morning attorney Marek Dian from the village of Hostinný (Trutnov district) visited the cottage to light a candle.

"I come here regularly, the purpose is to honor Václav Havel as a symbol of the revolution and better times, at least for me and many of my friends," said Dian, who considers Havel an extraordinary personality of the sort lacking today in politics. "Mr Havel had a significant impact, not just politically, but especially morally, and I believe our nation and state should appreciate people like him. We have not had many of them and certainly we will not have many in the future."    

Others are remembering Havel today by rolling up their trousers to recall when Havel, as President, reviewed the troops wearing trousers that revealed his ankles. At the Church of Saint Anna, where Havel and his wife Dagmar built the Prague Crossroads social center, Cardinal Dominik Duka will say a mass for Havel at 18:00 CET.