The Life and Work of Jose Rizal Page 1 of 9

General Education 9

Topic: Rizal’s Life: Higher Education and Life Abroad (Part 2)

III. LESSON PROPER

Rizal’s First Sojourn in Europe

Sojourn
 refers to a temporary stay or period of residence in a particular place. It implies that the stay is not
permanent but rather temporary or transient.
 It's often used to describe a brief or temporary period spent in a different location, typically for
purposes such as travel, study, work, or leisure.
Decision to Study Abroad
Rizal decided to study in Spain after finishing the fourth year of his medical course. The people who approved;
 His older brother Paciano
 His sister Saturnina (Neneng) and Lucia
 Uncle Antonio Rivera
 The Valenzuela family
 Some friends
The people who did not know his decisions;
 Rizal’s parents
 Leonor Rivera
Travel to Spain (1882 – 1885)
After finishing the 4th year of the medical course in the University of Santo Thomas, Rizal decided to
complete his studies in Spain.
Aside from completing his studies in Spain, Rizal has his “secret mission” – was to observe keenly
the life and culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce, and government and laws of
his European nations in order to prepare himself in mighty task of liberating his oppressed people
from Spanish tyranny.
The Rizalian secret mission was likewise disclosed by Paciano in his letter to his younger brother
dated Manila, May 20, 1882.
Rizal’s departure for Spain was kept secret to avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the
friars.
 Jose Mercado – Rizal used this name; a cousin from Biñan
 May 3, 1882 – Rizal departed on board the Spanish streamer Salvadora bound for
Singapore.
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General Education 9
Singapore
 Donato Lecha – the ship captain from Asturias, Spain befriended Rizal
o Rizal described him as an affable man, “much more refined than his other countrymen and
colleagues that I have met.”
 Rizal played chess with his fellow passengers who were much older than he.
 May 8, 1882 – while the streamer was approaching Singapoer, Rizal saw a beautiful island,
fascinated by its scenic beauty, he remembered "Talim Island with the Susong Dalaga"
 May 9, 1882 – the Salvadora docked at Singapore
 Hotel de la Paz – Rizal registered here and spent two days on a sightseeing soiree of the city, which
was a colony of England.
From Singapore to Colombo
 In Singapore, Rizal transferred to another ship Djemnah, a French steamer, which left Singapore
for Europe on May 11, 1882.
 May 17, 1882 – Djemnah reached Point Galle, a seacoast town in southern Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
 Rizal wrote on his travel diary: "The general appearance of Point Galle is picturesque but lonely and
quiet and at the same time sad"
 Colombo – capital of Ceylon – Rizal was enamored by Colombo because of its scenic beauty and
elegant buildings "Colombo is more beautiful, smart and elegant than Singapore, Point Galle and
Manila"
 For the first time, Rizal sighted the barren coast of Africa, which he called an "inhospitable land but
famous"
 Aden – city hotter than Manila – Rizal was amused to see the camels, for the first time
 City of Suez - the Red Sea terminal of the Suez Canal – Rizal was impressed in the beautiful
moonlight which reminded him of Calamba and his family
 Suez Canal – canal which built by Ferdinand de Lesseps (French diplomat-engineer) which was
inaugurated on November 17, 1869
 Port Said – the Mediterranean terminal of the Suez Canal
Naples and Marseilles
 June 11, 1882 – Rizal reached Naples
o Rizal was pleased on this Italian city because of its business activity, its lively people, and
its panoramic beauty
 Night of June 12, 1882 – the steamer docked at the French harbor of Marseilles
 Rizal visited the famous Chateau d'If, where Dantes, hero of the Count of Monte Cristo, was
imprisoned
 Rizal stayed two and a half days in Marseilles
Life in Barcelona
In this city, he wrote an essay entitled "Amor Patrio" (Love of Country).
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General Education 9
 Amor Patrio (Love of Country)
o Nationalistic essay, Rizal's first article written on Spain's soil under his penname Laong
Laan.
o It was published in two texts — Spanish and Tagalog. The Spanish text was the one
originally written by Rizal in Barcelona, the Tagalog text was a Tagalog translation made by
Marcelo H. Del Pilar.
 August 20, 1882 — His article "Amor Patrio" was published in the Diariong Tagalog, a Manila
newspaper edited by Basilio Teodoro Moran.
 His next article was entitled "Los Viajes" (Travels) and followed by "Revistade Madrid” (Review
of Madrid) but it was returned because the publication was ceased due to lack of funds.
 Rizal left Barcelona in the fall of 1882, and established himself in Madrid, the Capital of Spain.
Life in Madrid
 November 3, 1882 – Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid (Central University of
Madrid) in two courses — Medicine and Philosophy and Letters
 Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando – Rizal studied painting and sculpture. Rizal's only
extravagance was investing a few pesetas for a lottery ticket in every draw of the Madrid Lottery.
Rizal spent his leisure time reading and writing at his boarding house, attending the reunions of
Filipino students at the house of the Paterno brothers (Antonio, Maximo and Pedro) and practicing
fencing and shooting at the gymnasium.
 Antigua Café de Levante – during the summer twilights, this is where Rizal sipped coffee and
fraternized with the students from Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, et.
 On Saturday evenings, Rizal visited the home of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey who lived with his son
(Rafael) and daughter (Consuelo).
 Circulo Hispano – Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle) – a society of Spaniards and Filipinos
which Rizal joined shortly after his arrival in Madrid in 1882.
 ME PIDEN VERSOS (THEY ASK ME FOR VERSES) – upon the request of the members of this
society, Rizal's wrote this poem which he personally declaimed during the New Year's Eve reception
of the Madrid Filipinos held in the evening of December 31, 1882
o in this sad poem, Rizal poured out the cry of his agonizing heart
 Rizal economized on his living expenses, and with the money he saved, he purchased books from
a second-hand book store owned by a certain Señor Roses
 Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin and Eugene Sue's The Wandering Jew – these two books
aroused Rizal's sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people
 March 1883 — He joined the Masonic Lodge called Acacia in Madrid with the masonic name
DIMASALANG. His reason for was to secure Freemasonry's aid in his fight for the Philippines.
 November 1883 — He transferred to Lodge Solidaridad, where he become a Master Mason.
o Mason is a member of a fraternity known as masonry.
 While in Madrid, the Filipinos including Rizal were having financial problems however, they inspired
by the victory of Juan Luna’s painting, “Spolarium” and Resurrecion Hidalgo’s painting “Christian
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General Education 9
Virgins Exposed to the Populace”.
Rizal’s Education in Spain
 June 21,1884 - Rizal finished his medical education. He was conferred the degree of Licentiate in
Medicine.
 The next year, he passed all his subjects leading to Doctors of Medicine but was only able to get his
Doctor's Diploma in 1887 for he wasn't able to pay corresponding fees.
 June 1885 - Rizal was awarded the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters by the Universidad
Central de Madrid with the rating of Excellent (Sobresaliente)
Rizal in Paris and Berlin
 Rizal went to Paris and Germany in order to specialize in Ophthalmology — Rizal chose this branch
of medicine because he wanted to cure his mother's eye ailment.
 He trained under DR. LOUIS DE WECKERT - a leading French Ophthalmology of Paris for whom
he worked as assistant.
 During his free time, he visited his fellow countrymen — Pardo de Taveras (Trinidad, Felix and Paz)
and Juan Luna. Rizal posted in Luna's canvas like, "The Blood Compact" in which he posed as
Sikatuna and Trinidad as Legazpi.
 He also posed for a group picture called "The Death of Cleopatra"wherein he dressed as an Egyptian.
RIZAL IN HISTORIC HEIDELBERG, GERMANY
 February 1, 1886- He left Paris to Germany.
 February 3, 1886- Rizal arrived in Heidelberg — a historic city in Germany, famous for its old
university and romantic surroundings.
 He worked at the University Eye Hospital under the supervision of DR. OTTO BECKER -
distinguished renowned German Ophthalmologist.
 During his stay in Heidelberg, he lived with a Protestant pastor Dr. Karl Ullmen, who became his
good friend.
 “A Las Flores de Heidelberg” (To the Flowers of Heidelberg) - this was written during his stay in
the city of Heidelberg.

First Letter to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt

 Rizal wrote a German letter to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt on July 31, 1886 because he knew
that Blumentritt was interested in the Philippine Languages.
 Rizal sent book entitles Arithmetica to Blumentritt.
 Blumentritt became the best friend of Rizal.
November 1886
 Rizal arrived in Berlin. He was enchanted by the scientific atmosphere and the absence of racial
prejudice in Berlin. Through his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt Rizal met;
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 Dr. Feodor Jagor, great scientist and author of "Travels in the Philippines", one of the books Rizal
admired during his student days.
 Dr. Rudolf Virchow known to be the Father of Modern Pathology.
Rizal’s Reasons in Staying in Berlin
1. To gain further knowledge in Ophthalmology;
2. To improve further his studies of sciences and languages;
3. To observe the economic and political conditions of the German nation;
4. To associate with famous German scientists and scholars;
5. To publish his novel, Noli Me Tangere.
NOLI ME TANGERE (PUBLISHED IN BERLIN, 1887)
The bleak winter of 1886 in Berlin was Rizal's darkest winter because no money arrived from Calamba.
The diamond ring which his sister, Saturnina, gave was pawned in the pawnshop. It was memorable in the
life of Rizal for two reasons:
1. it was a painful episode for he was hungry, sick and despondent in a strange city;
2. it brought him great joy after enduring so much sufferings, because his first novel, Noli Me Tangere
came off the press.
Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not)
 first novel which tackled the society and government in the Philippines during the Spanish
colonization.
 he discussed herein how the friars deceived the Filipinos and made them blindly believe in the
practices of religion. This novel was taken from the gospel of St. John from the New Testament.
 February 21, 1887 - The Noli was finally finished and ready for printing.
 Berliner Buchdruckrei-Action-Gesellschaft — a printing shop which charged the lowest rate, that
is, 300 pesos for 2,000 copies of the novel.
March 21, 1887
 The Noli Me Tangere came off the press.
 The novel is not originally conceived by Rizal, for he admitted taking it from the Bible.
 The novel was published through the financial help of Rizal’s friend Maximo Viola