Chapter 7

Berlin to Paris
( 1885 – 1887)
• After completing his study in Madrid, Rizal went to Paris and Germany in order
to specialize in ophthalmology. He particularly chose this branch of medicine
because he wanted to cure his mother’s eye ailment.
• He serves as assistant to the famous oculist of Europe.
• He also continued his travels and observations in European life and customs,
government and laws in Paris, Heidelberg, Leipzig, and Berlin.
• The Capital of unified Germany is Berlin; he met and befriended several top
German scientists, Dr. Feodor Jagor, D. Adolph B. Meyer, DR. Hans Meyer, and
Dr. Rudolf Virchow.
• In Gay Paris (1885-86). Shortly after terminating his studies at the Central
University of Madrid, Rizal, who was then 24 years old and already a physician,
went to Paris in order to acquire more knowledge in ophthalmology.
• On his way he stops to visit his friend Maximo Viola, a medical student and a
member of a rich family of San Miguel, Bulacan.
• He stayed for a week, during which time he be friend Senior Eusebio Corominas,
editor of news paper La Publicidad and a Statesman. He gave Editor Corominas
an article on the Caroline’s Questions, then, a controversial, for publication.
• November 1885, Rizal was living in a Paris, where he sojourned for about four
months. He worked as s assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert’s (1852-1906), leading
French ophthalmologist, from November 1885 to February 1886
• Outside his working hours at Dr. Weckert’s clinic, Rizal relaxed by visiting his
friend, such as the family of the Pardo de Taveras
• ( Trinidad, Felix, and Paz) Juan Luna and Felix Resurrection Hidalgo. Paz Pardo
was a pretty girl, who was 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”
• Rizal helped Luna by posing as a model in several paintings. In Luna's canvas.
“The death of Cleopatra,” Rizal posed as a Egyptian priest. In another of Luna’s
great paintings, The Blood of Pact,” he posed as Sakatuna, with Trinidad Pardo
de Tavera taking the role of Legazpi.
Rizal As A Musician
• Music played an important part in all Filipino reunions in Barcelona, Madrid,
Paris and other cities of Europe.
• The Filipino contemporaries of Rizal could either play an instrument or sing.
Especially in home of the Pardo and in Luna's studio, every reunion was
enlivened with the playing or singing of the kundimans and other Philippine
melodies.
• Rizal had no natural aptitude for music, and this he admitted. But he studied
music because many of his school mates at the Ateneo were taking music lessons.
• In a letter dated November 27, 1878, he told Enrique Lete that hr learned the
Solfeggio, the piano, and voice culture in one month and a half. However he
confessed that he could not sing well. “if you could hear me sing,’ he wrote to
Lete, “ you would wish you are in Spain because my voice is like the braying of
the asses”
• Rizal came to farewell fairly well. He was a flutist in various impromptu reunions
of Filipinos in Paris. He composed some songs, particularly Alin Mang Lahi
(Any Race). A patriotic song which asserts that many race aspires for freedom,
and a sad danza, La Deportacion (Deportation), which he composed in Dapitan
during his exile.
In a Historic Heidelberg
• After acquiring enough experience as an ophthalmologist in D. Weckert's clinic,
Rizal reluctantly left gay Paris on February 1, 1886 to Germany. He visited
Strasbourg (capital of Alsace Lorraine) and other German border towns.
• On February 3, 1886, he visited in Heidelberg, a Historic city in Germany famous
for its old university and romantic some German law students.
• This student found out Rizal was a good chess player so that they made him a
member of The Chess Player’s Club.
• He became popular among the German students because he joined them in their
chess games and beer drinking, and watched their friendly saber duels.
• After few days Rizal transferred to a boarding house which was near the
University of Heidelberg. He worked at the University Eye Hospital under the
direction of Dr. Otto Becker, distinguish German ophthalmologist, and attended
lectures of Dr Becker and Prof. Wilhelm Kuehne at the University.
• During week ends, Rizal visited the scenic spots around Heidelberg, including
the famous Heidelberg Castle, the romantic Neckar River, the Theater, and the
old Churches.
 • To the Flowers of Heidelberg. In the spring of 1886, Rizal was fascinated by the
blooming flowers along the cool banks of the Necker River. Among them was his
favorite flower- the Light blue” Forget –me-not”.
• The beautiful spring’s flowers reminded him of the blooming flowers at the
garden of his home Calamba. In his mood of homesickness, he wrote on April 22
1886, a fine poem “A Las Flores de Heidelberg’ (To the flowers of Heidelberg).
With Pastor Ullmer at Wilhemsfeld. After writing about flowers, Rizal spent a three
month summer vacation of Wilhemsfeld, a mountain village of a kind Protestant pastor,
Dr. Karl Ullmer, who became his good friend and admirer. His pleasant personality and
talents in knowledge and sketching endeared to the pastor's wife, who was a good cook,
and two children, Etta (daughter) and Fritz (son).
Later, on May 29, 1887, Rizal wrote from Munich (Muchen) to Friedrich ( Ritz) son of
pastor Elmer:
First Letter to Blumentritt
• On July 31, 1886 Rizal wrote his first letter in German which he had improve
after his stay with the Ullmer) to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt, director of the
Ateneo Leitmeritz, Austria.
• With the Rizal letter, Rizal sent book which he mentioned. That Book Entitled
Arithmetica
( Arithmetic) and was published in to two language– Spanish and Tagalog– by the
university of So Tomas Press in 1868. The author was Rufino Balthazar Hernandez, a
native of Santa Cruz, Laguna.
Fifth Centenary of Heidelberg University.
In the Leipzig and Dresden
In Leipzig, Rizal translated Schiller’s William Tell from German into Tagalog so that
the Filipino might know the story of that champion of Swiss Independence. Later he
also translated into Tagalog for his nephew and nieces Hans Christian Andresen’s Fairy
tales.
• On October 29,, he left Leipzig for Dresden, where he met Dr. Adolph B. Meyer.
The director of the Anthropological and Ethnological Museum. He stayed two
days in the city. He heard Mass in the Catholic Church. Evidently, this mass
impressed him very much, for he wrote on his diary: Truly I have never in my
life heard a Mass whose music had greater sublimity and intonation.
Rizal Welcomed in Berlin’s Scientific Circles
• Rizal was enchanted by Berlin because of his scientific atmosphere and the
absence of race prejudice. In the city, he became in contact with great scientists.
 He met for the first time Dr. Feodor Jagor, celebrated German scientist-traveler
and author of travels in the Philippines, a book which Rizal read and admired
during his student days in manila.
• Dr. Jagor, in turn, introduces Rizal to Dr. Rudolf Virchow, famous German
anthropologist, and the latter’s son, Dr. Hans Virchow, professor of Descriptive
Anatomy. Rizal also met Dr. W. Joest, noted German geographer. He worked in
the clinic of Dr. Karl Ernest Schweigger, (1830-1905) famous German
ophthalmologist.
• Rizal; became a member of the Anthropological Society, the Ethnological
Society, and the Geographical Society of Berlin, upon recommendation of Dr.
Jagor and Dr Meyer. His Member in scientific societies proved that his scientific
knowledge was recognized by Europe’s scientist.
• He was the first Asian to be recorded such honors.
• Dr. Virchow, who recognized Rizal’s genius, invited the latter to give lecture
before the Ethnographic Society of Berlin. In response to Virchow’s invitation,
Rizal wrote a scholarly paper in German, entitled Tagalische Verkunst (Tagalog
Metrical Art) which he read before the society in the same year, and it elicited
favorable comments from all scientific quarters.
Rizal's Life in Berlin
• In Berlin Rizal was not a mere student or a curious tourist. He lived in this
famous capital of unified Germany for five reasons:
1. To gain further knowledge of ophthalmology
2. to further his student of sciences and languages
3. to observe the economic had political conditions of the GERMAN NATION.
4. to associate with famous German scientist and scholars,
5. to published his novel Noli Metangere.
Rizal led a methodical and frugal life in Berlin. By day, he worked as a assistant in the
clinic of Dr. Schweigger, eminent German ophthalmologist. At night, he attended
lectures in the University of Berlin.