Vaclav Havel: tens of thousands accompany funeral procession in prague

they ring with the keys in memory of the end of communism, stretching posters in the height or applaud with tears in his eyes. in a very personal, the Czechs take a farewell procession through Prague by Vaclav Havel.

in the Czech capital Prague, tens of thousands of people died from the farewell ex-president Vaclav Havel taken. The funeral procession with the coffin, crossed the Charles Bridge on Wednesday morning.

in a long procession escorting the man gave the ex-president, dissident and world-renowned playwright, the last one. Havel's widow dagmar and close friends of the "dense president" followed the hearse decorated with flowers. A mourning was holding a placard with Havel's life motto, "Truth and love must prevail" high. for the funeral on Friday are expected including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Christian Wulff.

Hradcany at Prague was the coffin in a ceremony full of symbolism received and pathos. a team of horses pulled the coffin on a gun carriage on the castle forecourt, past the archbishop's palace, from which flew a black flag. on the historic carriage in the year 1937, the mortal remains of the first Czechoslovak president Tomas Garrigue Masaryk transferred. an honor guard of 200 soldiers accompanied the coffin in a slow step. followed him in a light rain dagmar Havel's widow, his brother Ivan, President Vaclav Klaus and the highest state dignitaries.

more than 10,000 people gathered in front of the castle to witness the military ceremony. had happened as the coffin of gigantentor, they clap at remembrance to havel spontaneously in the hands. "He was an advocate lack of ideal, which is in today's time," said one grieving the German press agency. with ex-Foreign Minister Jiri Dienstbier, the writer Vaclav Havel, Jiri Grusa and now is an entire elite of the nation assigned, complained a young man. the three close companions and freedom fighter, all died in this year.

expressed in a very personal, many Czechs their grief. Charles Bridge on the facade of the church next to a hand-painted hanging banner saying "thank you, vaclav". young people rang keychain with her and recalled how Havel with his companions in front of more than two decades, heralded the end of communism.

The funeral was broadcast live on the first program of Czech Television. The day before the people until late at night in a former church in Prague's Old Town on the coffin taken Havel's farewell still. was the former president of Czechoslovakia and the Czech died on Sunday after a long illness at the age of 75 years. Archbishop Dominik Duka is on Friday in St. Vitus Cathedral to celebrate the Catholic funeral. The burial will take place at a later time in the family circle.