Born in 1917, our protagonist experienced the tumultuous changes of the 20th century without ever leaving his hometown yet finding himself a citizen of several different countries throughout his life. 

Hailing from Dunaszerdahely in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, he witnessed the territory being transferred to Czechoslovakia in 1920 following the Trianon decision, thus becoming a Czechoslovak citizen. With the first Vienna Award in 1938, the southern part of Czechoslovakia was returned to Hungary, leading our hero to once again find himself in a new state. Upon returning to Czechoslovakia in 1945, our protagonist's life continued amidst the shifting borders. Despite the geopolitical changes, he managed to evade deportation and remained in his homeland. In 1993, the establishment of independent Slovakia marked yet another shift, making our hero a citizen of a fourth state, all without ever leaving Dunaszerdahely. 

The complexity of this situation is further illustrated by an anecdote from Kisszelmenc:
"Tell me who you are, what you did!"
"I was born in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. After that, I lived in Hungary, then in Czechoslovakia, then again in Hungary. At the end of the Second World War, I found myself back in Czechoslovakia, and then in the Soviet Union."
"Old tramp! What did he do that he had to continue standing everywhere?!"
"Please, I have never left my native village of Kisszelmenc in my entire life."

Thus, a person born in Kisszelmenc could traverse through multiple countries while never physically leaving his village, illustrating the complexities and uncertainties of the geopolitical landscape during the 20th century.