Pavel Kohout

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Covers

Records

Kohout's career is remarkable for its longevity and moral clarity. He is one of the few writers to have been honored by both the Czech Republic and Austria, countries that once stood on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain. His role in Charter 77 is recognized globally as a landmark of intellectual resistance. In 2005, Czech daily Lidové noviny ranked him among the top 100 Czech personalities of the 20th century. His plays continue to be produced in over 30 countries, and his essays are taught in universities as examples of dissident thought.

AwardsPavel Kohout has received numerous honors for his literary and human rights work. In 2013, he was awarded the Medal of Merit by Czech President Miloš Zeman. He has also received honorary doctorates from Charles University in Prague and the University of Vienna. His play The Firebird won the German Critics' Prize in 1978, and his novel Katyně was shortlisted for the Austrian State Prize in 1981. He was inducted into the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2005.

Honours & Distinctions

Medal of Merit

Czech Republic·2013

Awarded by President Miloš Zeman for lifetime contribution to Czech culture.

Honorary Doctorate

Charles University, Prague·1990

Recognized for his literary and human rights work.

Honorary Doctorate

University of Vienna·1995

Honored for his contribution to Austrian literature.

Inducted into European Academy of Sciences and Arts

European Academy·2005

Recognized for his cultural and intellectual achievements.

Rankings & Lists

#87

Top 100 Czech Personalities of the 20th Century

Lidové noviny·2005

Magazine Covers

Tvar

1977

The Dissident's Voice

Die Zeit

1977

Charter 77: A Writer's Stand

Records & Feats

Oldest living signatory of Charter 77

Historic First·2026

As of 2026, Kohout is the oldest surviving founding signatory of the Charter 77 manifesto.