MODULE IN RIZAL:

LIFE AND WORKS OF

RIZAL

First Semester
A.Y. 2024 - 2025
MODULE 5
RIZAL’S TRAVEL IN EUROPE, U.S. AND THE PUBLICATION OF NOLI ME TANGERE

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Admire Rizal’s love and concern for his country and fellow Filipinos
2. Comprehensively discuss the life experiences of Rizal in Europe and
United States

3. Identify the happenings in the first homecoming of Rizal.

RIZAL’S TRAVEL IN EUROPE RIZAL’S SECRET MISSION

Rizal by his desire to learn and perfect himself to become more useful to his family and to
help her mother. Rizal left home and country and went to Europe in order to educate himself. He
was not moved by the wish to have a good time and enjoy life. Rizal’s Departure for Spain was
kept in utmost secrecy; even his parents and sisters were not informed about the departure in
Spain. He left Calamba by Carromata in the early morning of May 1,1882 and reach the manila
after ten hours of travel. His travel passport issued the name of “Jose Mercado”.
Those who saw him off were his brother Paciano, who gave him some money, Saturnina,
who gave him a diamond ring, Uncle Antonio, and a few close friends. He carried with him a
good recommendation from Ateneo authorities the Jesuit fathers. Rizal was Twenty-one years
old on the moment the day he left of his parting from his family, friends and love one’s. Tears
welled from his eyes as the Salvadora sailed further away from Manila. He wrote on his dairy
“My Country” My Love, My people, I leave you now. As the ship sailed for Singapore, Rizal
could not help comparing the persons and the things around him so that he would no longer in
pain being separated from his beloved parents and country.
At the end of the week sailing, The Salvadora reached Singapore, he was so impressed, by
its clean and beautiful scenery. He visited some historical places, The Botanical garden, art
galleries and park. From Singapore, Rizal boarder the Djemnah, a French ship which was bigger
and better than the Salvadora’s, which is sailing to Europe. Most of the passenger were French
speaking nationals. He speaks French gesticulation and sketch what he says to some
passengers to understood what he is saying. On June 12 the ship docked at the French harbor
of Marseilles. One of the day in Barcelona, Rizal spent his time Writing letters to his family.
Barcelona is a city that was a quiet place.
While in Barcelona, he meets his old friends and schoolmates in Ateneo who gave him a
warm welcome. They even invited him to walk on the park and visited the historical spots. He
was amused at the famous street Las Ramblas in Barcelona. He also wrote a nationalistic
articles were specially written for our country is “Love Country” Amore Patria and travels to (Los
Viajes).

Rizal in Madrid in September,1882

Rizal transferred studies to the Spanish Capital in order to continue his medical studies
in the famous Central University of Madrid. He Enrolled two courses in medicine and in
philosophy and letters. His other activities included taking lessons in painting and sculpture at
the Academy of San Fernando.

PARIS TO BERLIN (1885-1887)

Rizal went to Paris and Germany in order to specialize in ophthalmology. He chose this
branch because he wanted to cure his mother’s eye ailment. He also continued his travels and
observations of European life and customs, government and laws in Paris, Heidelberg, Leipzig
and Berlin. In Berlin, Jose met and befriended several top German scientists, Dr. Feodor Jagor,
Dr. Adolph B. Meyer and Dr. Rudolf Virchow.

In Paris
After his studies in Central University of Madrid, Rizal, who was 24 years old and already
a physician, he went to Paris in order to acquire more knowledge in ophthalmology.
• Maximo Viola(Barcelona) – a medical student and a member of rich family of San Miguel,
Bulacan
• Senor Eusebio Corominas – editor of the newspaper La Publicidad
• Miguel Morayta – owner of La Publicidad and a statesman
• Carolines Question – an article Rizal’s gave to Editor Corominas; a controversial issue
for publication
• November 1885 – he was living in Paris
• Dr. Louis de Weckert – leading French ophthalmologist where Rizal worked as an
assistant about four months
• Rizal relaxed by visiting his friends, such as the family of the Pardo de Taveras (Trinidad,
Felix, and Paz), Juan Luna and Felix Resureccion Hidalgo
• Juan Luna – the great master of brush; Rizal helped him by posing as model in several
paintings:
1.“the Death of Cleopatra”, Rizal posed as an Egyptian priest
2.‘the Blood Compact”, Rizal posed as Sikatuna

RIZAL AS A MUSICIAN
Rizal had no natural aptitude for music, and this he admitted. He studied music only because
many of his schoolmates at Ateneo were taking music lessons. In a letter dated November 27,
1878, he told Enrique Lete that he “learned the solfeggio, piano, and voice culture in one month
and a half”. He was a flutist in various impromptu reunions of Filipinos in Paris
Some of his compositions are:

• “Alin Mang Lahi”(Any Race) – a patriotic song which asserts that any race aspires for
freedom
• “La Deportacion”(Deportation) – a sad danza, composed in Dapitan during his exile

February 1, 1886 – left Paris

 February 3, 1886 – arrived in Heidelberg (a historic city in Germany famous for its old
university and romantic surroundings
 Rizal was a good chess player and became a member of Chess Player’s Club’
 He became popular among German students because he joined them in their chess
games and beer-drinking and watched their friendly saber duels.
  He worked at the University of Heidelberg under the direction of Dr. Otto Becker,
German ophthalmologist

TO THE FLOWER OF HEIDELBERG

 He was fascinated by the blooming flowers along the cool banks of the Neckar River.
 The light blue “forget-me-not” – his favorite flower
 April 22, 1886 – he wrote a fine poem “A Las Flores de Heidelberg” (To the Flowers of
Heidelberg)

WITH PASTOR ULLMER AT WILHELMSFIELD

 Wilhelmsfield - where Rizal spent a three-month summer vacation

 Protestant Pastor Dr. Karl Ullmer - where Rizal stay at the vicarage of their house and
who become his good friend and admirer.
 May 29, 1887 - Rizal wrote from Munich (Muchen) to Friedrich (Fritz)

FIRST LETTER TO BLUMENTRITT

 July 31, 1886 - Rizal wrote his first letter in German to Blumentritt
 With the letter Rizal sent the book entitled Aritmetica (Arithmetic) and was published in
two languages Spanish and Tagalog. Rizal impressed Bulmentritt because of his letter
anf they become friends. Blumentritt, the Austrian, became the best friend of Rizal, the
Filipino.

FIFTH CENTENARY OF HEIDELBERG

 Rizal was fortunate to be sojourning in University of Heidelberg in its fifth centenary of

Heidelberg University. The following entry on his diary dated August 6, 1886 describes
the celebration of the fifth centenary of the famous University of Heidelberg.
 August 9, 1886 - Rizal left Heidelberg.

IN LIPZEIG AND DRESDEN

 August 14, 1886 - when he arrived in Leipzig

 Leipzig - Rizal translated Schiller’s William Tell from German into Tagalog. He also
translated Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Anderson. He stayed about two and half month
in Leipzig
 October 29, 1886 - he left Leipzig for Dresden where he met Dr. Meyer.
 In the morning of November 1, Rizal left Dresden by train reaching Berlin in the
evening.

RIZAL WELCOME IN BERLIN’S SCIENTIFIC CIRCLE

 Berlin - where Rizal met Dr. Teodor Jagor

 Dr. Feodor Jagor - author of Travels in the Philippines
 Dr. Hans Virchow - professor of Descriptive Anatomy
 Dr. Rudolf Virchow – German Anthropologist
 Dr. W. Joest - noted German geographer
  Dr. Karl Ernest Schweigger - famous German ophthalmologist where Jose worked in his
clinic
 Rizal became a member of the Anthropological Society and Ethnological Society.

RIZAL’S LIFE IN BERLIN

Five reasons why Rizal lived in Germany:

1. Gain further knowledge of ophthalmology

2. Further his studies of sciences and languages
3. Observe the economic and political conditions of the German nation
4. Associate with famous German scientists and scholars
5. Publish his novel, Noli me Tangere

Madame Lucie Cerdole - French professor; she became Jose’s professor in Berlin. He took
private lessons in French in order to master the idiomatic intricacies of the French language. He
also enjoyed promenading along Unter den Linden.

RIZAL WITH GERMAN WOMAN

 March 11, 1886 - Rizal wrote a letter addressed to his sister, Trinidad, expressing his
high regard and admiration for German womanhood
 German woman - serious, diligent, educated and friendly
 Spanish woman - gossipy, frivolous and quarrelsome

GERMAN CUSTOMS

 Christmas custom of the Germans

 Self-introduce to stranger in social gathering
 Rizal wrote “On Christmas eve, the people tae from the bushes a pine tree, selecting
one which must not only be straight .
 Another interesting German custom observes by Rizal is self-introduction to strangers in
a social gathering.

RIZAL’S DARKEST WINTER

 Winter of 1886 – Rizal’s darkest winter in Berlin because during that winter, he lived in
poverty because no money arrived from Calamba and he was flat broke. In far away
Calamba, Paciano tried desperateky to raise money. He knew his younger brother is in a
dire financial situation in Berlin. Meanwhile, Rizal starved in Berlin and shivered with
wintry cold.

PUBLICATION OF NOLI ME TANGERE

Noli Me Tángere, Latin for "Touch me not", is an 1887 novel by José Rizal during the
colonization of the Philippines by Spain to describe perceived inequities of the Spanish Catholic
friars and the ruling government. Originally written in Spanish, the book is more commonly
published and read in the Philippines in either Tagalog or English.
 Rizal entitled this novel as such drawing inspiration from John 20:13-17 of the Bible, the
technical name of a particularly painful type of cancer (back in his time, it was unknown what the
modern name of said disease was). He proposed to probe all the cancers of Filipino society that
everyone else felt too painful to touch.
Early English translations of the novel used titles like An Eagle Flight (1900) and The
Social Cancer (1912), disregarding the symbolism of the title, but the more recent translations
were published using the original Latin title. It has also been noted by the Austro-Hungarian
writer Ferdinand Blumentritt that "Noli Me Tángere" was a name used by local Filipinos for
cancer of the eyelids; that as an ophthalmologist himself Rizal was influenced by this fact is
suggested in the novel's dedication, "To My fatherland".

BACKGROUND
José Rizal, a Filipino nationalist and medical doctor, conceived the idea of writing a novel
that would expose the ills of Philippine society after reading Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle
Tom's Cabin. He preferred that the prospective novel express the way Filipino culture was
perceived to be backward, anti-progress, anti-intellectual, and not conducive to the ideals of the
Age of Enlightenment. He was then a student of medicine in the Universidad Central de Madrid.
In a reunion of Filipinos at the house of his friend Pedro A. Paterno in Madrid on 2
January 1884, Rizal proposed the writing of a novel about the Philippines written by a group of
Filipinos. His proposal was unanimously approved by the Filipinos present at the time, among
whom were Pedro, Maximino Viola and Antonio Paterno, Graciano López Jaena, Evaristo
Aguirre, Eduardo de Lete, Julio Llorente and Valentin Ventura. However, this project did not
materialize. The people who agreed to help Rizal with the novel did not write anything. Initially,
the novel was planned to cover and describe all phases of Filipino life, but almost everybody
wanted to write about women. Rizal even saw his companions spend more time gambling and
flirting with Spanish women. Because of this, he pulled out of the plan of co-writing with others
and decided to draft the novel alone.

HISTORY OF PUBLICATION
Rizal finished the novel in February 1887. At first, according to one of Rizal's biographers,
Rizal feared the novel might not be printed, and that it would remain unread. He was struggling
with financial constraints at the time and thought it would be hard to pursue printing the novel.
Financial aid came from a friend named Máximo Viola; this helped him print the book at
Berliner Buchdruckerei-Aktiengesellschaft in Berlin. Rizal was initially hesitant, but Viola insisted
and ended up lending Rizal ₱300 for 2,000 copies. The printing was finished earlier than the
estimated five months. Viola arrived in Berlin in December 1886, and by March 21, 1887, Rizal
had sent a copy of the novel to his friend, Blumentritt.
The book was banned by Spanish authorities in the Philippines, although copies were
smuggled into the country. The first Philippine edition (and the second published edition) was
finally printed in 1899 in Manila by Chofre y Compania in Escolta.

REACTION AND LEGACY

This novel and its sequel, El filibusterismo (nicknamed El fili), were banned by Spanish
authorities in the Philippines because of their allegations of corruption and abuse by the colonial
government and the Catholic Church. Copies of the book were nevertheless smuggled in and
hidden, and when Rizal returned to the Philippines after completing medical studies, he quickly
ran afoul of the local government. A few days after his arrival, Rizal was summoned to
Malacañang Palace by Governor-General Emilio Terrero, who told him of the charge that Noli
me tangere contained subversive elements. After a discussion, Terrero was appeased but still
unable to offer resistance to pressure from the Church against the book. The persecution can be
discerned from Rizal's letter to Leitmeritz:

My book made a lot of noise; everywhere, I am asked about it. They

wanted to anathematize me ['to excommunicate me'] because of it... I am
considered a German spy, an agent of Bismarck, they say I am a Protestant, a
freemason, a sorcerer, a damned soul and evil. It is whispered that I want to
draw plans, that I have a foreign passport and that I wander through the
streets by night...

Rizal was exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao, then later arrested for "inciting rebellion" based largely
on his writings. Rizal was executed by firing squad at the Luneta outside Manila's walls on
December 30, 1896 at the age of thirty-five, at the park that now bears his name.

SOCIAL IMPACT
After publication, Noli me Tangere was considered to be one of the instruments that
initiated Filipino nationalism leading to the 1896 Philippine Revolution. The novel did not only
awaken sleeping Filipino awareness, but also established the grounds for aspiring to
independence.

GRAND TOUR TO EUROPE WITH VIOLA (1887)

After the publication of Noli, Rizal planned to visit the important places in Europe. Dr.
Maximo Viola agreed to be his traveling companion. Rizal received Paciano’s remittance of
P1000 which forward by Juan Luna from Paris and immediately paid his debt to Viola which he
loaned so that the Noli could be printed. First, he and Viola visited Potsdam, a city near Berlin.
At the dawn of May 11, 1887, Rizal and Viola, two browned-skinned doctors on roaming spree,
left Berlin by train. Spring was an ideal season for travel. Their destination was in Dresden, one
of the best cities in Germany.

IN DRESDEN

 Rizal and Viola tarried for sometimes in Dresden. They visited Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, who
was overjoyed to see them. In the Museum of Art, Rizal was deeply impressed by
painting of Prometheus Bound. They also meet Dr. Jagor and heard their plan about
Leitmeritz in order to see Blumentritt. He advice to wire Blumentritt because the old
professor might be shock of their visit.

First Meeting with Blumentritt

At 1:30 pm of May 15, 1887 the train arrived at the railroad station of Leitmeritz.
Professor Blumentritt was at the station carrying a pencil sketch of Rizal which he sent to
identify his friend. Blumentritt get a room at Hotel Krebs, after which he bought them to
his house and stayed Leitmeritz, May 13 to 14 1887.

 Beautiful Memories at Leitmeritz

They enjoyed hospitality of Blumentritt family. The professor’s wife, Rosa, was a
goodcook. She prepared Austrian dishes which Rizal’s liked very much. Blumentritt
proved to be a great tourist as well as hospitable host. He showed the scenic and
historical spots of Leitmeritz to his visitors. The Burgomaster (town mayor) was also
amazed by Rizal’s privileged.
  Prague
Rizal and Viola visited the historic city of Prague. They carried letters of
recommendation from Blumentritt to Dr. Wilkom, professor in University of Prague. Rizal
and Viola visited the Tomb of Copernicus.

 Vienna
May 20 they arrived at Vienna capital of Austria-Hungary. They met Norfenfals,
one of the greatest novelist on that time. They stayed at Hotel Metropole. They also
meet two goodfriends of Blumentritt - Masner Nordman and Austrian scholars.

 Danubian voyage to Lintz

May 24, Rizal and Viola left Vienna on a river boat to see beautiful sights of
Danube River. As they travelled along the famous river, Rizal observed keenly river
sights.

 From Lintz to Rheinfall

The river voyage ended in Lintz. They travelled overland to Salzburg, and from there
to Munich where the sojourned for a short time to savor the famous Munich Beer.

 Crossing the Frontier to Switzerland

From Rheinfall, they crossed the frontier to Schaffhausen, Switzerland. They
stayed in this city from June 2-3, 1887. They continued their four to Basel (Bale), Bern
and Lausanne.

RIZAL VISIT TO UNITED STATES (1888)

April 28, 1888
• Rizal first saw America on April 28, 1888.
• His arrival in the great country was marred by racial prejudice.

Arrival in San Francisco

• Belgic - This steamer, with Rizal on board, docked at San Francisco on Saturday
morning, April 28, 1888. Two agencies that certified Belgic is free from cholera epidemic:
1. The American consul of Japan
2. The British governor of Hong Kong

All passengers were not allowed to land because the American health authority placed
the ship under quarantine on the ground that it came from the Far East where cholera epidemic
was alleged to be raging. Rizal was surprised because there is no outbreak of the disease in the
Far East, thus he joined other passengers in protest.

643 Chinese coolies boarded the ship

Chinese coolies
• They are unskilled oriental laborer
• They were displacing white laborers in railroad construction camp
• The reason for placing the ship under quarantine was motivated by politics.
• But Rizal was questioning how come 700 bolts of silk were unloaded without fumigation.
• After a week Rizal together with other first-class passengers were permitted to land.

Chinese and Japanese

• The passengers of the second and third class accommodations who were forced to remain
on board for a longer quarantine period.
Rizal in San Francisco
• On Friday afternoon, May 4, 1888, the day Rizal was permitted to go ashore, he was
registered at Palace Hotel, which was considered as a first-class hotel in the city ($4 a
day).
• Market Street - The best street in San Francisco according to Rizal.

Leland Stanford
• A millionaire senator representing California in the U.S. Senate at that time.
• He was the founder and benefactor of Standford University at Palo Alto, California.
• Rizal stayed in San Francisco for two days – May 4 to 6, 1888.

Grover Cleveland
• The president of the United States at that time.

Across the American Continent

• From May 6, 1888 – Sunday, 4:30 P.M. to May 13, 1888 – Sunday, at 11:10 A.M.
• Oakland – first stop via ferryboat

Via train
• Sacramento - where he ate his supper 75cents and slept at his couch.
• Reno, Nevada “the Biggest Little City” - where he had his breakfast
• Utah - where he saw Mormons, thickly populated
• Colorado - a lot of snow and pine trees
• Nebraska – Omaha City - as big as San Francisco
• Missouri River - twice as big as Pasig River
• Chicago - a lot of Indians in cigar stores
• Albany - where he saw the Hudson River
• New York - which he considers a big city. Where he stayed for three days
• He left the United States on May 16, 1888 for Liverpool, London on board the “City of
Rome”, the second largest ship in the world.
• Great Eastern – largest ship in the world during his time.

George Washington
• a great man who, Rizal think, has no equal in his country
• The 1st president of the US.

Rizal’s Impression of America Good Impressions

1. The material progress of the country as shown in the great cities, huge farms, flourishing
industries, and busy factories;
2. The drive and the energy of the American people;
3. The natural beauty of he land;
4. The high standard of living
5. The opportunities for better life offered to poor immigrants.

Bad Impressions
1. Non-existence of true civil liberty, as Negro cannot marry an American and vice versa.
2. The existence of racial prejudice as shown in their hatred of the Chinese, Japanese
and Negroes.
3. The valuing of money over human life
4. Lack of racial equality.

America For Rizal

“The land par excellence of freedom but only for the whites.” - Rizal said this to Jose
Alejandrino, an engineering student form Belgium.