Commemorative banknote 100 CZK First election of Václav Havel as President of the Czech Republic

The fourth commemorative banknote issued by the Czech National Bank with a nominal value of 100 CZK commemorates the 35th anniversary of Václav Havel’s first election as President of the Czech Republic.

Václav Havel became the first non-communist head of state since 1948 in 1989. He was elected to the office of president a total of four times. During his first two terms, he served as president of Czechoslovakia - first socialist and then federal. Of all Czechoslovak presidents, he held this office for the shortest period - only two and a half years. He then resigned from his term. He refused to participate in the breakup of the state, to whose constitution he had sworn an oath, and thus to burden the office of the presidency with a decision with which he personally disagreed. Six months later, on January 26, 1993, however, he was once again elected head of state - this time of the newly formed Czech Republic, which he led for the entire following decade. This was a great advantage for the new country on the map of Europe, as it was represented by a globally respected figure. After this third term, Václav Havel was elected a fourth time. He spent just under 13 years at Prague Castle. In domestic politics, he spoke out against unhealthy trends, and in foreign policy, he led the Czech Republic toward a firm anchoring within Euro-Atlantic structures. Although he is no longer with us, his ideas and values continue to resonate to this day…

The issuance of commemorative banknotes was authorized by a special law, and their exclusive manufacturer is the Prague-based State Printing Office.