Neuchâtel

• Address: Centre Dürrenmatt Neuchâtel 
• Date of installation: 22nd of November
• Photo: ZÚ Bern 

On November 22, the Václav Havel Place was ceremonially unveiled at the Centre Dürrenmatt Neuchâtel on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the meeting of Václav Havel and Friedrich Dürrenmatt in Switzerland and Dürrenmatt’s famous speech “Switzerland – a prison”. The inauguration was attended by Czech Ambassador Tomáš Jan Podivinský, Slovak Ambassador Soňa Budayová, and former director of the Václav Havel Library Michael Žantovský.

The Václav Havel’s Place is a memorial dedicated to Václav Havel. It comprises two chairs linked by a round table with a tree growing through its centre. The installation of Havel’s Places is a worldwide project that was initiated by the Czech ambassador to the US, Petr Gandalovič, and the architect and designer Bořek Šípek. The aim of the project is to create a network of places in public spaces that can contribute to meeting and holding genuine dialogue – places where it will be possible to conduct discussions and to reflect in the spirit of Václav Havel’s ideals and philosophy.