Abstract
Quite a lot of texts written by key figures of Central European literature (such as Drago Jančar, Milorad Pavić or Péter Esterházy) refer to Švejk (or Jaroslav Hašek who is so often identified with the character he had created) and connect him with characters from Kafka's novels or stories of Hrabal. However, these established comparisons are not without problems: they may be seen as emblemas and stepping stones for "mythical construction" of the (non-existent) Central European identity, rather than as seriously intended contributions to literary interpretation.
The article deals with the connection between these comparisons and the transformation of the myth called Mittleeuropa from sixties to eighties.