The Continuity of History – János Martonyi 80

The Continuity of History – La Continuité de l’Histoire

János Martonyi 80

Date:

4 April 2024 (Thursday) 17.00

Venue:

University of Public Service, Széchenyi Ceremonial Hall

Among Hungarian foreign ministers, there were few to whom the French language and culture were as important as for János Martonyi, who, after an active political career, remained an important figure in Hungarian public life as a legal scholar, author of historical studies and essays. His decades of international experience, his knowledge and his view of history provide him with a perspective on the developments over the centuries that can help the international public to gain a better understanding of our country and its history. For this reason, we considered it important to publish an extended French version of János Martonyi’s volume Nemzet és Európa (Nation and Europe), published in Hungarian in 2021, following the English version. His thoughts, expressed more than twenty-five years ago as Minister of Foreign Affairs, still resonate today. “The essence of Europe lies in its diversity. If this diversity, with its many cultural and linguistic traditions, is lost, or even blunted, Europe will lose its identity. Consequently, European unity cannot and will not exist without national identity, without the survival and strengthening of the nation.”

It is often said that the character of the Old Continent was shaped by three hills, the Golgotha in Jerusalem, the Acropolis of Athens and the Capitoline in Rome. It is the latter that appears on the cover of our book, since Roman law, the legal thinking that was based on it, and the European integration that began here with the Treaty of Rome are perhaps the most important themes of János Martonyi’s oeuvre.

The Otto von Habsburg Foundation honours the 80 years of János Martonyi with this conference and the book.