Introduction

A Parisian Life
Upon finishing his studies at
Madrid, the 24 years old Rizal
embarked on a journey to the
beautiful and lively city of Paris. On
his way to Paris, he momentarily
dropped by at Barcelona to meet his
friend, Maximo Viola, another medical
student from a rich family in San
Miguel, Bulacan. Here, Rizal was
introduced by Viola to Senor Eusebio
Corominas, editor of La Publicidad.
Later, through Corominas, Rizal also
met its owner, the activist professor
Don Miguel Morayta. He gave editor
Corominas an article on the Carolines
Questions for publication.
Maximo Viola
THE MODEL. By October 1885,
Rizal was living in Paris where he
became an assistant to Dr. Louis de
Weckert, a French ophthalmologist.
Outside his working days at the clinic,
he paid visits to the Pardo de Taveras
(Trinidad, Paz and Felix) and the studio
of his Ilocano friend Juan Luna. At the
studio of Luna, Rizal gamely posed in
the several of the formers paintings
together with Trinidad and Felix. In the
Death of Cleopatra Rizal posed as an
Egyptian priest while Juan Luna, not
wanting to pay for a model, posed as
Cleopatra himself. Luna used
photography as medium in doing most
of his indoor paintings.
Dr. Louis de Weckert
A MUSICIAN. Rizal had no
natural talent in music. But he liked
music though it never liked him.
Nevertheless, he studied music and
participated in many presentations.
This all started ever since he was in
Ateneo when many of his friends
used to drag him along whenever
there were musical presentations.
With constant practice, he came to
play the flute fairly well. A picture in
one of their presentations shows
Rizal to be holding a small type of
string instrument. Time by time, Rizal
would write musical pieces, and this
all began since the Ateneo days.
Jose Rizal with fellow students
(musicians, fencers and gymnasts) at
Intramuros boarding house
Some of those known today are (1) Leonor, (2) El
Canto del Prisionero, (3) Alin Mang Lahi, a patriotic
hymn, (4) El Canto de Maria Clara (in Noli Me
Tangere), (5) Himno A Talisay, and El Canto del Viajero
(during his Dapitan exile).
After acquiring enough experience as an
assistant ophthalmologist in Dr. Weckerts clinic, he
reluctantly left Paris on Feb 8, 1886. Though Paris was
so lovely and its people so warm, the high standard of
living just would not allow him to stay any longer. Rizal
thought it was best to leave.
In Love with
Germany
HEIDELBERGS BEAUTY.
After a long but joyful travel, Rizal
arrived in Heidelberg, a historic
German city famous for its old
university and other medieval
structures. He initially stayed in a
boarding house with some German
law students who encouraged him to
join the Chess Players Club upon
seeing his skill in the game. Rizal had
played chess since he was a
teenager. Later, he lived with a
Lutheran minister, Pastor Karl Ullmer.
They became good friends and often
had friendly discussions about the
merits of religions.
Rizals anti-Catholic sentiments
may have been firm, nevertheless,
it did not encourage him to become
a Protestant.
It is interesting to note that
at present Heidelberg pays tribute
to Rizal through museum that was
built in his honor. This museum is
the former residence of Karl
Ullmer. Outside the museum itself,
a life-size statue of Rizal stands in
the middle of the garden and
fronting a small pond. The avenue
that runs adjacent to the museum
is also named after him.
A POEM FOR THE FLOWERS.
While in Heidelberg, he worked as an
assistant ophthalmologist in the clinic of
Dr. Javier Galezowsky. He also took
lessons in medicine at the university
under the instruction of Dr. Otto Becker.
During his stay, he wandered around
the cool banks of the Neckar River and
admired the scenic beauty of the
countrysides. His favorite sights were
the flowers which he admired much as
they are set in discipline to create
beautiful landscapes. Among these
flowers was his favorite, the bluish
forget-me-not. This served as his
inspiration in writing a fine poem
entitled, To the Flowers of Heidelberg.
Dr. Javier Galezowsky
On July 31, 1886, Rizal wrote
a letter in German to Professor
Ferdinand Blumentritt, Director of
the Ateneo of Leitmeritz in Austria.
Rizal had learned that this Austrian
ethnologist had a keen interest on
the Philippine language and culture.
Along with the letter, Rizal gave him
a book entitled Arithmetica, by
Rufino Baltazar Hernandez.
Blumentritt complimented Rizals
kind gesture by sending him also a
set of books. It came to be the
beginning of a wonderful friendship
between the two.
Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt
A STAY IN LEIPZIG.
Rizal witnessed the grand
quincentennial anniversary
celebration of the University of
Heidelberg on August 6. After
two days, he finally left aboard a
train and visited some of the
cities and towns of Germany.
When he arrived at Leipzig, he
befriended Prof. Fredrich
Ratzel, a German historian and
psychologist at the University of
Leipzig.
Prof. Fredrich Ratzel
He also attended some
lectures while at the university. It
was also here when he
translated into Tagalog the
legend of William Tell and the
tales of Hans Christian
Andersen. Later, he proceeded
for Dresden, where he met Dr.
Adolph B. Meyer, director of the
citys Anthropological and
Ethnological museum.
Afterwhich, Rizal decided to
stay in Berlin.
Dr. Adolph B. Meyer
IN THE GERMAN CAPITAL.
Rizal was amazed by the scientific
atmosphere that he saw in Berlin.
More favorable, he noticed also the
absence of racial prejudice. He met
for the first time Dr. Feodor Jagor, a
famous German scientist whom Rizal
had long admired for his Travels in
the Philippines. Dr. Jagor, in turn,
introduced Rizal to Dr. Rudolf Virchow,
famous German anthropologist, and
his son, Dr. Hans Virchow, a professor
of Descriptive Anatomy. To earn some
income, he worked also in the clinic of
Dr. R. Schulzer, a German
ophthalmologist.
Dr. Rudolf Virchow
Dr. Feodor Jagor
In one occasion, Dr.
Virchow was generous enough to
invite him to give a lecture on the
Tagalog language. Later, Rizal
wrote a scholarly paper entitled
Tagalische Verskunst which he
lectured before the members of the
anthropologist society. Through the
many endorsements that he got
from friends, Rizal became a
member of the many scientific
societies in Berlin.
Hans Virchow
IMPRESSIVE BERLIN. Rizal lived in Berlin for
certain reasons. One of them was to have his novel
finished and published. Another, which is certainly more
important, is to promote the existence of Filipinos and to
share their condition to the political and scientific circles
of Berlin. His aim was to expose the plight of the
Filipinos against Spanish oppression and their struggle
to pursue for reforms.
At his boarding house, he kept himself healthy
through constant exercise at the Berlin Gymnasium. He
also took private lessons in French under Madame
Lucie Gerdolle to further improve his fluency in French
language.

The winter months of 1886
became the worst time for Rizal in
Berlin. For a long period there was no
money that arrived from Calamba. The
ring of his Ate Neneng was already
pawned. He even had sold most of his
books. His diet came to a low point of
only one a day. In his meals he only ate
bread and vegetable soup. Paciano,
himself, went out of money because
crops have failed due to the ravages of
the locusts. Rizal began to break down
due to lack of nourishment. Because of
constant coughing he thought he had
tuberculosis. There was no one he
could approach.
With no money at all, Rizal
felt that his novel would not be
published at all. One night, under
the cold Berlin winter, with much
pessimism, he threw the Noli to
the fireplace believing that it would
have more use as firewood.
Immediately, coming to his senses
in a snap, he withdrew it. In the
midst of hunger and cold, Rizals
depression and discouragement
started to grow.
A GIFT FROM ABOVE. It was a
good thing that suddenly an angel was
sent. True to his word, Maximo Viola
arrived for the rescue. He temporarily
took charge of all their finances and
upon special request, financed also the
initial printing of Noli Me Tangere which
cost him P300. This made Viola to be
the Nolis savior. He earlier sent Rizal a
wire about his coming to Berlin. This was
in keeping with their agreement that they
would, one day, see each other to make
a tour of Europe. The message
somehow revived Rizals senses. Lucky
for Rizal, for the one that arrived was a
man from a rich family. Before doing
their plan, Rizal managed first the
printing of his book.
After the Noli came off the press
in Berlin, Rizal and Viola prepared to
visit some of the important places in
Europe. Before their departure Rizal
had received Pacianos remittance of
P1,000 which was forwarded by Juan
Luna in Paris. He immediately paid
Viola the sum of P300, the loaned
amount which was used for the printing
of the Noli. Having paid his debt, and
with adequate funds in his pocket, he
was ready to see Europe before
returning to Calamba.
END..