Václav Havel Library presents famous journalist’s memoir

The Václav Havel Library, dedicated to the legacy of the first Czech president, organises lectures, conferences, social, cultural events and various meetings, including the launch of this autobiography.

The famous Austrian journalist, Barbara Coudenhove-Kalergi, was born in Prague to an aristocratic family.

Home is everywhere

Her book will take you to the epicentre of important historical events over the last century, while also depicting her own experiences. The writer has managed to maintain an important balance between narrating her own life and keeping a focus on history.

Barbara Coudenhove-Kalergi

The author was exiled from her home town after the end of the World War II. Her journalistic career later led her repeatedly to Central Europe, where countless personal dramas took place over the centuries during clashes between nations, language groups and war coalitions.

She devoted much of her professional life to Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary. She acted as the Eastern Europe correspondent for the largest Austrian radio and television company ORF for a number of years, and informed them of the impending coup in the Iron Curtain states from abroad.

She personally participated in the first visit of John Paul II to Poland, the establishment of independent trade unions in 1980 in Gdansk, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and war conflicts in former Yugoslavia.

In 2001, Václav Havel awarded her with the Order of T.G. Masaryk in recognition of her support for democracy and human rights.

Guests

Guests at the book presentation include Czech sociologist and journalist Jiřina Šiklová, Czech politician Karel Schwarzenberg and translator Adéla Langhamer. Interpretation from German will be provided.

For further information, please visit: https://www.vaclavhavel.cz/en/index/calendar/1579/doma-je-vsude