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I don't know of a single EU member state that its citizens consider to exist for less than 400 years. Europe focuses on nationalism unconnected to states (moder

I don't know of a single EU member state that its citizens consider to exist for less than 400 years. Europe focuses on nationalism unconnected to states (modern states were established after WW2 by historic national borders), and there is a strong culture of legal continuity - spanning 600+ years in most cases, 1200+ years in case of Czechia, around 1700 in case of Germany... the Holy Roman Empire claimed to be the continuation of the Roman Empire itself (and legally it was!). Even if you can't see the state on old maps, there was a subordinated but sovereign enough duchy or principality, from which practically every modern EU member state derives its right to exist and be where it is. Amusingly, Russia is one of, if not the youngest European state if we consider this kind of continuity.

periheli0n 6y ago
Germany as we know it today developed in the 1800s and its borders have changed significantly since. Prior to that it was a couple of kingdoms, each of which changed allegiance between the various middle-European empires many times, every time there was a war or someone noble married. Parts of Germany were occupied over long stretches of time, e.g. by the Swedish, the French, more recently the British and Americans, every time leaving an impression in the culture. Culture in various parts of Germany in diverse, most striking is the difference between Prussia and Bavaria. Cultural development in Germany was regionally diverse and subject to huge outside influence all the time. If there was legal continuity then it was because the whole of Europe was governed by the same bunch of emperor families since the fall of Rome. But this was totally decoupled from culture.
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