Ivan Klíma, the renowned Czech author and anti-communist dissident whose life and works were profoundly influenced by the totalitarian regimes of 20th-century Europe, has died at the age of 94. His son, Michal, confirmed to the Czech ČTK news agency that Klíma passed away at home on Saturday morning after a prolonged illness. Born Ivan Kauders on September 14, 1931, in Prague, Klíma’s early life was marked by the horrors of World War II, during which his Jewish family was interned in the Nazi’s Theresienstadt concentration camp. Miraculously, they all survived. After the war, Klíma initially embraced communism, joining the Communist Party in 1953, the same year his father was imprisoned for political reasons. However, disillusionment soon set in, and he was expelled from the party in 1967 after publicly criticizing the regime. The Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 further stifled his work, leading to a ban on his writings. Klíma’s literary career spanned novels, plays, short stories, essays, and children’s books, with his works translated into over 30 languages. His acclaimed novel, ‘Judge on Trial,’ explored the moral dilemmas faced by individuals under totalitarian rule. After the 1989 Velvet Revolution, Klíma devoted himself fully to writing, producing notable works such as ‘Love and Garbage’ and ‘The Spirit of Prague and Other Essays.’ His contributions to literature earned him the Medal for Outstanding Service to the Czech Republic and the Franz Kafka Prize in 2002. Reflecting on his life, Klíma often cited his survival of the Nazi camp as his most vivid memory, emphasizing the stark reality of life and death.