Péter Esterházy on historical continuity in Europe

The Hungarian writer Péter Esterházy sees great differences between Western Europe and the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe in terms of their historical development. In an interview with Krzysztof Maslon Esterházy explains that historical development has been much more linear in Western Europe. "In my opinion, interrupting history and starting again is a uniquely Central European phenomenon. We have no institutions which have existed in the same form for centuries on end. There's a pub in London that has enjoyed a royal privilege since the 18th century, which allows it to stay open seven minutes longer than other pubs - just long enough for a last round. This is a great thing. Thanks to a decision made by a monarch a few centuries ago, I can go home a quarter of an hour later... But what impact do the words of King Mathew Corvinus have on Hungarians, or the words of Stefan Batory on Poles? Does anything at all happen in Budapest or Warsaw that has a genuine connection with what happened there a few centuries ago? This is an important difference between the two parts of Europe. We carry within us unfinished tales we can't get rid of; stories we can't read to the end."

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