Prague's Václav Havel Library Renamed First Presidential Library After Naming Dispute
The Prague library honoring Václav Havel has dropped his name, rebranding as the First Presidential Library after his widow revoked naming rights.
The Václav Havel Library in Prague has been renamed the First Presidential Library following a protracted dispute over its leadership and direction. The conflict began when economist Tomáš Sedláček, appointed director in 2025, pushed for a more internationally focused agenda, leading to the resignation of nearly the entire staff, including program director Jáchym Topol, and the withdrawal of key donors such as Zdeněk and Michaela Bakala and billionaire Karel Komárek.
In June, co-founder Dagmar Havlová revoked permission for the institution to use her late husband’s name, forcing the board to adopt a new title. While the library intends to continue preserving Havel’s documents and ideas, it will no longer be involved in the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. The institution, founded in 2004 by Havlová, Karel Schwarzenberg and Miloslav Petrusek, remains at its Ostrovní Street location in central Prague, with a board meeting and press conference slated for Sept. 14.
Why it matters
Losing the Havel name jeopardizes the library's ability to promote his legacy and manage the associated human-rights prize.
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