PARIS TO BERLIN(1885-87)

• Ophthalmology - branch of medicine concerned with the function and care of the eye and with the disorders that affect it

• He wanted to cure his mother’s eye ailment• He served as assistant to some famous

ophthalmologists of Europe• Travels, life & custom observations,

government in Paris, Heidelberg, Leipzig and Berlin

Paris to Heidelberg = 290 miHeidelberg to Leipzig = 211 miLeipzig to Berlin = 89 mi

590 mi x 1.609344 = 949.51296 km

With the Scientists

• Dr. Feodor Jagor, Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, Dr. Hans Meyer, and Dr. Rudolf Virchow

In Gay Paris (1885-86)

• 24 years old – went to Paris for opthalmology• Stopped at Barcelona to visit his friend Maximo

Viola• Befriended Senor Eusebio Corominas, editor of

La Publicidad and made a crayon sletch of Miguel Morayta, owner of the former and a statesman

• Gave Corominas an article on the Carolines Question

• Nov. 1885 – living in Paris for 4 months (1852-1906), assited Dr. Louis de Weckert, leading French ophthalmologist, from Nov. 1885- Feb. 1886

• He rapidly improved his knowledge of ophthalmology as revealed by a letter to his parents on Jan. 1, 1886

• Rizal also visits his friends such as the Family of Pardo de Taveras (Trinidad, Felix and Paz), Juan Luna, and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo

At the studio of Luna, there they made happy hours, helped him by posing as model in several paintings: ‘’Death of Cleopatra’’, ‘’Blood Compact’’.

Rizal as Musician

• They could sing or even play an instrument• Nov 27. 1878, told Enrique Lete that he

learned the solfieggo, piano and voice culture.• Played also the flute very well• ‘’Alin mang Lahi’’ and ‘’La Deportacion’’ as

compositions

Historic Heidelberg

• Visited Strasbourg• Feb 3, 1886 – arrived at Heidelberg. Lived in a

boarding house and was a good chess player• Worked at the University Eye Hospital under

Dr. Otto Becker with lectures of Prof. Wilhem Kuehne

• Visited Heidelberg Castle, the romantic Neckar River, theater and old churches.

‘’To the flowers of Heidelberg’’

• 1886, spring – along the cool banks of neckar river, ‘’forget-me-not’’ flower

• He wrote on April 22, 1886, a fine poem ‘’A las Flores de Heidelberg

With Pastor Ulmer at Wilhemsfeld

• Spent a 3-month summer vacation• Stayed at the vicarage• Became good friends with his family• June 25, 1886 – ended his stay and returned

to Heidelberg with gratitude.• May 29, 1887 – wrote from Munich to Fritz

(son)

First letter to Blumentritt

• July 31, 1886 – wrote a letter in German to Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt, Director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria

• Rizal sent a book entitled: Aritmetica (published by UST Press 1868 in Spanish and Tagalog) authored by Rufino Baltazar Hernandez

• Impressed Blumentritt who in return gave 2 books• they became bestfriends

5th Centenary of Heidelberg University

• UH held its 5th centenarry celebration in 8-6-1886 (3 days before his departure)

• Wrote an entry to his diary dated the same day

In Leipzig and Dresden

• 8-9-1886 – (3 days after) Rizal left, boarded and arrived in this place on 8-14-1886 and attended some lectures on UL on history and psychology.

• Befriended Prof. Friedrich Ratzel & Dr. Hans Meyer

• Rizal translated Schiller’s William Tell (story of swiss independence)

• Also translated Hans Christin Andersen’s Fairy Tales• Cheap to live - 2 months• Corrected some chapters of his second novel and

performed daily exercises• Worked as proof-reader in a publisher’s firm• 10-29 – went to Dresden where he met Dr. Adolph B.

Meyer, director of the Anthropological and Ethnological Museum

• The Holy Mass impressed him very much • Nov 1 – reached Berlin by evening

Rizal welcomed in Berlin’s Scientific Circles

• Enchanted fir scientific atmosphere and racial prejudice absence

• He met for the first time Dr. Feodor Jagor, celebrated traveler and author of Travels in the Philipppines.

• Was introduced to Dr. Rudolf Virchow, Dr. Hans Virchow, Dr. W. Joest

• Worked in the clinic of Dr. Karl Ernest Schweigger

• Became a member of the Anthropological Society, the Ethnological Society, and the Geographical Society of Berlin upon recommendation of Dr. Jagor and Dr. Meyer

• Rizal wrote a scholarly paper in German entitiled ‘’Tagalische Verkunst’’ (Tagalog Metrical Art) read before the society in April 1887

Rizal’s Life in Berlin

• Five reasons:1. To gain further knowldege of ophthalmology2. Improve his studies in science and languages3. Observe the economic and political

conditions of Germany4. Associate with famous Scientists and Scholars5. Publish his novel, Noli Me Tangere

• Worked as an assistant to Dr. Schweigger and attended lectures at UB during evenings

• Practiced French, German and Italian languages. He took private lessons under Madame Lucie Cerdole.

• Worked out in Berlin Gymanasium• Made sketches and also promenading along

Unter den Linden

Rizal on German Women

• One of the important letters was to Trinidad, dated 3-11-1886 (German womanhood)

• German women: serious, diligent, sophisticated, friendly ; Spaniards: quarrelsome, gossipy, frivolous

• Rizal was worried

German Customs

• Christmas custom delighted him most especially of the pine tree

• Self introduction to strangers in as social gathering. (When they find nobody to introduce him, they take their initiative to do so by bowing, introducing and shakes their hands)

• German code of etiquette: bad manners for a guest to remain aloof and wait for the host.

Rizal’s Darkest Winter

• spent winters in many temperate countries (1886 in Berlin was his darkest).

• He lived in poverty because he didn’t receive any money from his hometown.

• Saturnina’s ring was at the pawnshop, he can’t pay the landlord and will have to eat only once a day.

• Paciano tried to help but the crops failed due to the ravages of the locusts.

• His soul cried out in despair.