Vaclav Havel, pictured in 2005, died at his weekend this morning, according to his assistant Vaclav Havel, who became the first Czech president after leading the bloodless Velvet Revolution against communist rule, died yesterday aged 75. The dissident playwright was instrumental in opening the door to democracy in Eastern Europe by loosening the Soviet grip. Tributes flooded in from world leaders who hailed him as ‘the greatest European of our age’. Havel was invited by Margaret Thatcher to 10 Downing Street  during his first official visit to the UK after the collapse of communism in 1989. As well as steering his country towards freedom, he also oversaw the peaceful 1993 split of Czechoslovakia into two separate countries – the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
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Former president was a key figure in Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution
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Playwright oversaw country's transition into Czech Republic and Slovakia
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Iconic figure previously described by George Bush as 'one of liberty's great heroes'
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Former leader died in his sleep after battling a long illness
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Havel famously declared: 'Truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred'
Born in 1936 to a wealthy family  in @placeholder, he began co-writing plays during his military service in the 1950s.