Chapter 7: Paris to Berlin

(1885-1887)

 Specializes his study in ophthalmology in Paris and Germany.

o Chose this branch of medicine for he wants to cure his mother’s eye ailment.
o Served as an assistant to the famous oculist in Europe.
 Continued his observations in Paris, Heidelberg, Leipzig and Berlin.
 Berlin – capital of unified Germany
o met and befriended top German Scientists
 dr. Feodor Jagor
 Dr. Adolph B. Meyer
 Dr. Hans Meyer
 Dr. Rudolf Virchow
 Merits as scientist were recognized by the eminent scientists of Europe
 Gay, Paris(1885-86) – already 24 yrs. old and physician
o Stopped at Barcelona to visit Maximo Viola (a medical student and a member
of rich family of san Miguel, Bulacan)
o Stayed for a week and befriended Senor Eusebio Corominas – editor of the
newspaper La Publicidad and made a crayon sketch of Don Miguel Morayta
(owner of La Publicidad and a statesman)
 Gave Corominas an article on the Carolines Question, then a
controversial issue, for publication.
 November 1885 – living in Paris and sojourned for about four months
o Worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert (1852-1906), leading French
ophthalmologist, from November 1885 to February 1886.
o outside his working hours, he visited his friends, such as:
 family of Pardo de Taveras (Trinidad, Felix and Paz)
 Paz Pardo de Taveras – pretty girl engaged to Juan Luna. On the
album of this girl, Rizal drew a series of sketches on the Story
of “The Monkey and the turtle.”
 Juan Luna
 Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo
 Studio of Juan Luna – helped Luna by posing as model in several paintings:
o The death of Cleopatra as Egyptian Priest
o The Blood Compact as Sikatuna with Trinidad Pardo de Tavera as Legaspi
 Rizal as musician – kundimans and other Philippine melodies are played in all
Filipino reunions
o Reason for studying music: many of his schoolmates at the Ateneo were
taking music lessons
o November 27, 1878 letter to Enrique Lete
 Learned the solfeggio, the piano and voice culture in one month and
a half.
 Play the flute fairly well.
o Composed “alin mang lahi’ (any race): a patriotic song which asserts that
any race aspires for freedom
 o Sad Danza- “La Deportacion” (deportation): composed in Dapitan during his
exile.
 Historic Heidelberg – left Gay Paris on February 1, 1886 for Germany. Visited
Strasbourg (Capital of Alsace Lorraine)
o February 3, 1886 – he arrived in Heidelberg, a historic city in Germany,
famous for its old university and romantic surroundings.
 became a member in Chess Player’s Club
 worked at University Eye Hospital under the direction of Dr. Otto
Becker
 attended lectures of Dr. Otto Becker and Prof. Wilhelm Kuehne
 Weekends he visited: Heidelberg Castle, Neckar River, theater and old
churches.
 Light Blue “forget-me-not” flower – Rizal’s favorite. Remembered the
blooming flowers at the garden of his home in Calamba.
 April 22, 1886 wrote a poem “A Las Flores de Heidelberg” (to the
flowers of Heidelberg)
 With Pastor Ullmer at Wilhelmsfeld. 3 months Summer Vacation at
Wilhelmsfeld, a mountainous village near Heidelberg.
o Stayed at vicarage of Protestant pastor, Dr. Karl Ullmer.
 His pleasing personality and talents in languages and sketching
endeared the pastor’s wife and 2 children, Etta and Fritz.
 ended his sojourn June 25, 1886
 May 29, 1887 - wrote from Munich (Muchen) to Friedrich (Fritz)
 First letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt, director of the Ateneo de Leitmeritz,
Austria – July 31, 1886.
o Blumentritt (best friend of Rizal) - Austrian ethnologist and has interest in
Philippine Languages.
o Sent with the book entitled “Aritmetica”: published in 2 languages – Spanish
and Tagalog – by the University of Santo Tomas Press in 1868. Author: Rufino
Baltazar Hernandez, a native of Santa Cruz, Laguna
o Impressed by Rizal’s letter, he gave Rizal 2 books
 5 Centenary of Heidelberg University, August 6, 1886.
th

o 3 days before his departure. Sad because he had come to love the beautiful
city and the hospitable people.
o Celebrated Festung in the morning. Bugmuller (famous student) dressed as
Frederick the Victorious. Lieberman as a gentleman in 17th century. Gregoire
as wolf of Schwahen. Last night was Schlorsfest
 in Leipzig and Dresden (August 9, 1886) boarded a train and visited many cities in
Germany
o Arrived at Leipzig (August 14, 1886) attended lectures in History and
psychology at University of Leipzig.
o Befriended Prof. Friedrich Ratzel (famous German historian) and Dr. Hans
Meyer (German Anthropologist)
o Translated Schiller’s William Tell from German to Tagalog so that Filipinos
might know the story of the champion of Swiss independence. Also translated
Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales for his nephews and nieces.
 o October 29 left Leipzig for Dresden. Met Dr. Adolph B. Meyer – director of the
anthropological and ethnological museum.
 Heard mass in a Catholic Church and was impressed
 November 1 left Dresden by train and reached Berlin in the evening.
 Rizal welcomed in Berlin’s scientific Circles
 Met for the first time Dr. Feodor Jagor. Had a letter of introduction by Blumentritt for
him.
 Was introduced to Dr. Rudolf Virchow (famous German Anthropologist), and his son
Dr. Hans Virchow (prof of Descriptive Anatomy). Also met Dr. W. Joest (German
geographer)
 Worked in the clinic of Dr. Karl Ernest Schweigger (famous German ophthalmologist.
 Became member of the Anthropological Society, ethnological Society, and
Geographical Society of Berlin
o 1st Asian to be recognized by Europe’s scientists.
 Invited to give lecture in response he wrote scholarly paper entitled tagalische
verkunst (tagalog metrical art)
 Rizal’s life in Berlin.
o Reasons for living in berlin:
 To gain further knowledge of ophthalmology
 To further his studies of sciences and languages
 To observe the economic had political conditions of German Nation
 To associate w/ famous German Scientists and Scholars
 To publish Noli Me Tangere
 In the morning as assistant to Dr. Schweigger and at night attended lectures in the
university of Berlin
 Took private lessons under a professor of French, Madame Lucie Cerdole, to master
the idiomatic intricacies of the French Language.
 Unter den Linden – most popular boulevard of Berlin. Rizal enjoyed promenading.
 Rizal on German Women: letter to Trinidad (march 11, 1886). German woman is
serious, diligent, educated and friendly. Not gossipy, frivolous and quarrelsome like
Spanish woman
 German Customs: Christmas custom delighted him most. And self-introduction of a
German when nobody will introduce him.
 Rizal’s darkest winter: 1886 in Berlin. He lived in poverty because no money arrived
from Calamba and he was flat broke. The diamond ring which his sister, Saturnina,
gave him was in the pawnshop. He could not pay his landlord and had to scrimp
eating only one meal a day (bread and water or some cheap vegetable soup).