PARIS TO BERLIN (1885-1887)

-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

IN GAY PARIS (1885-1886)
· Maximo Viola- a medical student and a member of a rich family of San Miguel, Bulacan, Rizal’s friend
· Señor Eusebio Corominas- editor of the newspaper La Publicidad and made a crayon sketch of Don
Miguel Morayta, owner of La Publicidad and a stasman
· Rizal gave Editor Corominas an article on the Carolines Question, then a controversial issue, for
publication
· November 1885 , Rizal was living in Paris where he sojourned for about four months
· Dr. Louis de Weckert (1852-1906)- leading French ophthalmologist wherein Rizal worked as an
assistant from November 1885 to February 1886
· Paz Pardo de Tavera- was a pretty girl, who was engaged to Juan Luna
· At the studio of Luna, Rizal spent many happy hours. Rizal helped Luna by posing as model in several
paintings
· In Luna’s canvas “The Death of Cleopatra,“ Rizal posed as an Egyptian priest. In another of Luna’s
great paintings, “The Blood Compact,” he posed as Sikatuna, with Trinidad Pardo de Tavera taking the
role of Legazpi
· November 27, 1878- Rizal told Enrique Lete that he “learned the solfeggio, the piano, the voice
culture in one month and a half”
· By sheer determination and constant practice, Rizal came to play the flute fairly well. He was a flutist in various impromptu reunions of Filipinos in Paris
· Alin Mang Lahi (Any Race)-a patriotic song written by Rizal which asserts that any race aspires for
freedom
· La Deportacion (Deportation)- a sad danza which Rizal composed in Dapitan during his exile

IN HISTORIC HEIDELBERG
· February 1, 1886- Rizal reluctantly left gay Paris fro Germany
· February 3, 1886- Rizal arrived in Heidelberg, a historic city in Germany famous for its old university and romantic surroundings
· Chess Player’s Club- a club wherein the students made Rizal as a member because of being a good
chess player
· Dr. Otto Becker- distinguished German ophthalmologist where Rizal worked—University Eye Hospital
· April 22, 1886- Rizal wrote a fine poem “A Las Flores de Heidelberg” (To the Flowers of Heidelberg)
· In the spring of 1886, Rizal was fascinated by the blooming flowers along the cool banks of the Neckar River. Among them was his favorite flower—the light blue “forget-me-not”
· Wilhelmsfeld- a mountainous village near Heidelberg where Rizal spent a three-month summer vacation
· Dr. Karl Ullmer- a kind Protestant pastor where Rizal stayed, who became his good friend and admirer
· June 25, 1886- Rizal ended his sojourn at Pastor Ullmer’s home
· May 29, 1887- Rizal wrote from Munich (Muchen) to Friedrich (Fritz), son of Pastor Ullmer
· July 31, 1886- Rizal wrote his first letter in German (which he had improved after his stay with the
Ullmers) to Professor Blumentritt, Director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria
· Aritmetica (Arithmetic)-Rizal sent this book he mentioned and was published in two languages—
Spanish and Tagalog—by the University of Santo Tomas Press in 1868. the author was Rufino Baltazar
Hernandez, a native of Santa Cruz, Laguna
· August 6, 1886- the famous University of Heidelberg held its fifth centenary celebration

IN LEIPZIG AND DRESDEN
· August 9, 1886- Rizal left Heidelberg
· August 14, 1886- boarded by a train. Rizal arrived in Leipzig
· Professor Friedrich Ratzel- a famous German historian, Rizal befriend with him
· Dr. Hans Meyer- German anthropologist, a friend of Rizal
· In Leipzig, Rizal translated Schiller’s William Tell from German into Tagalog so that Filipino might know the story of that champion of Swiss independence
· Rizal also translated into Tagalog for his nephews and niece Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales
· Rizal found out that the cost of living in Leipzig was cheapest in Europe so that he stayed two months and a half
· Because of his knowledge of German, Spanish, and other European languages, Rizal worked as proofreader in a publisher’s firm
· October 29, 1886- Rizal left Leipzig for Dresden where he met Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, Director of the
Anthropological and Ethnological Museum
· Rizal heard Mass in a 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.”
· Morning of November 1, 1886- Rizal left Dresden by train reaching Berlin in the evening

BERLIN
· Rizal was enchanted by Berlin because of its scientific atmosphere and the absence of race prejudice
· Rizal 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. Rudolf Virchow- introduced to Rizal by Dr. Jagor; famous German anthropologist
· Dr. Hans Virchow- son of Dr. Rudolf Virchow, professor of Descriptive Anatomy
· Dr. W. Joest- noted German geographer
· Dr. Ernest Schweigger (1830-1905)- famous German ophthalmologist where Rizal worked
· Rizal became a member of the Anthropological Society, the Ethnological Society, and the Geographical Society of Berlin, upon the recommendation of Dr. Jagor and Dr. Meyer
· Tagalische Verkunst (Tagalog Metrical Art)- Rizal wrote this scholarly paper in German which he read before the society in April 1887
-this paper was published by the society in the same year, and elicited favorable comments from all scientific quarters
· Rizal lived in Berlin, famous capital of unified Germany for five reasons: (1) to gain further knowledge of ophthalmology (2) to 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
· Madame Lucie Cerdole-Rizal’s professor of French in order to master the idiomatic intricacies of the
French language
· Unter den Linden- the most popular boulevard of Berlin wherein Rizal enjoyed promenading, sipping
beer in the city’s inns and talking with the friendly Berliners
· March 11, 1886- one of Rizal’s important letters written while he was in Germany that addressed to his sister, Trinidad
-in this letter, Rizal expressed his high regard and admiration for German womanhood
-The German woman, said Rizal to his sister, is serious, diligent, educated, and friendly. She is not gossipy, frivolous and quarrelsome
· Aside from the German women, Rizal admired the German customs which he observed well