The original premiere was made possible with support from Edit Bauer and Alajos Mészáros, ethnic Hungarian MEPs from Slovakia and members of the European People?s Party. Before the performance, Bauer gave a speech, followed by an address by Giovanni Malfatti di Montetretto, Esterházy?s grandson, who lives in Brussels.
Esterházy consistently fought for the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia. He also refused to support the deportation of the Jews as a member of parliament.
He was declared a war criminal after WWII and locked up. He died in prison in 1957.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
