Václav Havel, the former president of Czechoslovakia, dissident and one of the key figures of the Velvet Revolution that toppled Communism in the former federation has become an honorary citizen of Bratislava. The Slovak capital granted him honorary citizenship on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the totalitarian regime for his fight for freedom, democracy and assisting in the process of Slovakia's integration into Europe.
Havel said that he respects the award all the more after discovering the personalities who have received it. He characterised personality as uniqueness of the human soul and deeds, and as what differentiates one human being from his fellows. Two other awardees were the first Austrian Ambassador to Slovakia, Maximilian Pammer, and Cardinal Jozef Tomko. Havel and Pammer received their awards in person, while the cardinal did not come as he is on a working visit to Taiwan.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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