Dagmar Havlova

(* 22. 3. 1953, Brno),
wife of the President of the Republic

Dagmar Havlova was born on March 22, 1953, to Marketa and Karel Veskrna in Brno. She is a popular and renowned Czech actress of theatre, film, and television. In 1971, she graduated from the State Conservatory in Brno and, in 1975, she completed her studies in acting at the Janacek Academy of Musical Arts in Brno with the title of Magister. She was a member of the Jiří Wolker theatre and the Theatre at Vinohrady. Among her most outstanding performances on the stage are those of Joan of Arc in Anouilh’s L’Alouette, Katherine in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, Lady Macbeth, as well as feature roles in Ionescu’s Macbeth, Preiss’ Gazdina roba, and Strindberg’s Queen Kristina. She has made over 50 film and 200 television appearances, for which she has received a vast number of awards for best performance by an actress, in addition to having been deemed most successful actress on multiple occasions.

She became the wife of President Vaclav Havel on January 4, 1997. Dagmar Havlova has one daughter, Nina (born 1976), from her first marriage.

Charitable activities

In 1997, Dagmar Havlova founded the “Vize’97 Foundation”, of which she is the chairperson of the board. Vize ’97 is concerned with the environment, oncology, education for the young, human rights, and the fight against racial intolerance. Vize ’97 Foundation cooperates with Carter 77 on a computer project for mentally handicapped patients.