Vaclav Havel dies at 75

Vaclav Havel, who steered Czechoslovakia peacefully to independence from Soviet rule in 1989, died on Sunday at the age of 75. The one-time dissident died in his sleep at dawn in his weekend house in the village of Hradecek, about 140 kilometres northeast of Prague, after a lengthy illness. Tributes poured in from across Europe for the statesman and playwright who was hailed as a "great European" and the "soul of the Czech revolution" that peacefully toppled communism in his country. People held vigils in Prague's central Wenceslas Square, the focal point of anti-communist rallies in 1989, and at Prague Castle, the seat of Czech presidents. Havel, president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992 and of the successor Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003, had long battled poor health, partly caused by the five years he spent in communist jails. A one-time chain smoker, Havel had grappled with respiratory problems since he had part of his lung removed in 1996 to stop cancer. The current President, Vaclav Klaus, said Havel had become a symbol of the modern Czech state. Havel was born in Prague on October 5, 1936 into a wealthy family which lost its assets as the communists took power in 1948.