Chapter 7 Paris to Berlin (1885-1887)
Specializes his study in ophthalmology in Paris and Germany.
Chose this branch of medicine for he wants to cure his mother’s eye ailment.
Serve as an assistant to the famous oculist in Europe.
Continued his observations in Paris, Heidelberg, Leipzig and Berlin.
Berlin – capital of unified Germany
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 (1885-1886) – already 24 yrs. Old and physician
Stopped at Barcelona to visit Maximo Viola (a medical student and a member of rich family of
san Miguel, Bulacan)
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
Worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert (1852-1906), leading French ophthalmologist,
form November 1885 to February 1886.
Outside his working hours, he visited his friends, such as:
Family of Pardo de Taveras (Trinidad, Felix and Paz)
o 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 Resurrection Hidalgo
Studio of Juan Luna – helped Luna by posing as model in several paintings:
The death of Cleopatra as Egyptian Priest
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.
Reason for studying music: many of his schoolmates at the Ateneo were taking music lessons
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.
Composed “alin mang lahi”: a patriotic song which asserts that any race aspires for
freedom.
Sad Danza- “La Deportacion”: composed in Dapitan during his exile.
Historic Heidelberg – left Gay Paris on February 1, 1886 for Germany. Visited Strasbourg
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 Keuhne
Weekends he visited: Heidelberg Castle, Neckar River, theater and old churches.
Light Blue “forget me not” flower – Rizal favorite. Remembered the blooming flowers at the
garden of his home in Calamba.
o April 22, 1886 wrote a poem ‘A Las Flores de Heildelberg”
With Pastor Ullmer at Wilhelmsfeld. 3months Summer Vaction at Wilhelmsfeld, a mountainous
village near Heilderberg.
Stayed at vicarage of Protestant pastor, Dr. Karl Ullmer
His pleasing personality and talents in laguages 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.
Blumentritt (best friend of Rizal) – Austrian ethnologist and has interest in Philippine Languages.
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
Impressed by Rizal’s letter, he gave Rizal 2 books
5th Centenary of Heilderberg University, August 6, 1886.
3days before his departure. Sad because he had come to love the beautiful city and the hospitable
people.
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
Arrived at Leipzig (August 14, 1886) attended lectures in History and psychology at University
of Leipzig.
Befriended Prof Friedrich Ratzel (famous German historian) and Dr. Hans Meyer (German
Anthropologist)
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.
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 Bluementritt 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
Berlin
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
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 Scholar
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 wil 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 dat *bread and water or some
cheap vegetable soup).
