václav havel was born in prague, czechoslovakia on 5 october 1936. he grew up in a well-known and wealthy entrepreneurial and intellectual family. his family was active in culture and politics in czechoslovakia from the 1920s to the 1940s. his father owned part of the suburb of barrandov. this is the highest part of prague. havel's mother came from a well-known family. her father was an ambassador and journalist. havel completed his required education in 1951. however, the communist government did not allow him to continue to study formally because of his bourgeois family background.