CHAPTER 7: PARIS TO BERLIN
I.
IN PARIS
a.
b.
c.
After completing his studies in Madrid, Rizal went to Paris and Germany to specialize in ophthalmology
He worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert, leading French ophthalmologist
Studio of Luna:
i. Happy hours: discussion with Luna on problems on art and painting technique
ii. Rizal helped Luna by posing as model in several paintings
iii. Death of Cleopatra: Rizal posed as an Egyptian Priest
iv. Blood Compact: Rizal posed as Sikatuna
II. AS MUSICIAN
a.
Jose could not sing well
b. Came to play flute very well
c.
Composed:
i. Alin Mang Lahi (Any Race)--- asserts that any race aspires for freedom
ii. La Deportacion (Deportation) --- composed in Dapitan during his exile
III. IN HEIDELBERG, GERMANY
a.
Boarding House of German Law students:
i. Students made him a member of the Chess Player’s Club
ii. Joined them in their beer drinking sessions and watched their friendly saber duels
b. Boarding House near the University of Heidelberg
i. Worked at the University Eye Hospital under the direction of Dr. Otto Becker, distinguished German
ophthalmologist
c.
Noticed that German Catholics and Protestants practiced ecumenism
i. They lived together in harmony and cordiality
IV. TO THE FLOWERS OF HEIDELBERG
a.
Fascination of the blooming flowers along the banks of Neckar River
b. Light blue “forget-me-not”: favorite flower
c.
Because of homesickness: poem: “To the Flowers of Heidelberg”
V. WITH PASTOR ULLMER AT WILHELMSFELD
a.
Jose spent a 3-month summer vacation at Wilhemsfield
b. Stayed at the vicarage of a kind Protestant pastor, Dr. Karl Ulmer
c.
Gratitude of Rizal:
i. “You may also receive, when you are abroad, the same treatment and friendship as I have found among
you…”
ii. “you understood me too, in spite of my brown skin…”
VI. FIRST LETTER TO BLUMENTRITT
a.
First letter in German to Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt, Director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria (Austrian Ethnologist
and has interest in Philippine languages)
i. “I have heard that you are studying our language, and that you had already published some work about it;
permit me to send you a valuable book written by my countryman in our language.”
b. That book was entitled: “Aritmetica” (Arithmetic)
i. Was published in Spanish and Tagalog
ii. Author: Rufino Baltazar Hernandez
c.
Blumentritt was impressed on the letter of Jose
i. Reciprocated by sending Jose a gift of 2 books
ii. Became the best friend of Jose
VII. IN LEIPZIG, GERMANY
a.
University of Leipzig
i. Attended some lectures on History and Psychology
ii. Befriended Prof. Friedrich Ratzel, famous German historian
iii. Befriended Dr. Hans Meyer, German Anthropologist
b. In Leipzig:
i. Translated Schiller’s William Tell from German to Tagalog
1. So that Filipinos might know the story of that Champion of Swiss Independence
ii. Translated Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales
1. For his nephews and nieces
c.
Cost of living in Leipzig was cheapest in Europe
i. Jose stayed 2 months and a half in this German City
ii. He worked as a proof-reader in a publisher’s firm and earned some money
d. In Dresden:
i. He met Dr. Adolph Meyer
VIII. BERLIN’S SCIENTIFIC CIRCLES
a.
In Berlin:
i. Met for the first time Dr. Feodor Jagor (author: Travels in the Philippines)
b. Became a member of the Anthropological Society, Ethnological Society, and Geographical Society of Berlin
i. Upon recommendation of: Dr. Jagor and Dr. Meyer
ii. Proved that his scientific knowledge was recognized by Europe’s scientists
1. Was the first Asian to be accorded such honors
IX. LIFE IN BERLIN
a.
Live in this Capital for 5 reasons:
i. To gain further knowledge of Ophthalmology
ii. To further his studies of sciences and languages
iii. To observe the economic-political conditions
iv. To associate with famous German scientists and scholars
v. To publish his Noli Me Tangere
b. Frugal life in Berlin
i. By day: assistant in the Clinic of Dr. Schweigger, eminent German ophthalmologist
ii. By night: attended lectures in the University of Berlin
X. ON GERMAN WOMEN
a.
Addressed to his sister Trinidad:
i. German women:
1. Serious, diligent, educated, friendly
2. Not: gossipy, frivolous, quarrelsome like the Spanish woman.
3. Not particular about beautiful dresses and expensive jewelry
ii. Filipino women:
1. Women are more interested in how they dress than in how much they know
2. If only they can cultivate their intellect by education and by taking more interest in worldly affairs,
they can command the respect of all men.
iii. Rizal advised his sister:
1. Read while you are young.
2. Not allow yourself to be conquered by indolence because it costs so little to cast it off.
XI. GERMAN CUSTOMS
a.
On Christmas Eve:
i. Pine tree as a Christmas tree
b. When a man attends a social function and finds that there is nobody to introduce him to the other guests, he bows his
head to the guests
i. Introduces himself and shakes the hands of everyone in the room.
ii. It is bad manners for a guest to remain aloof, and wait for his host or hostess to make the proper introduction.
XII. DARKEST WINTER IN BERLIN
a.
Jose live in poverty because no money arrived from Calamba
i. The diamond ring which Saturnina gave him was in the pawnshop
ii. He could not pay his landlord
iii. He had to scrimp, eating only one meal a day
iv. Jose starved and shivered with wintry cold.
v. His health broke down due to lack of proper nourishment
vi. He feared he was going to be sick with tuberculosis
b. In Calamba:
i. Paciano tried desperately to raise money
ii. Crops had failed due to the ravages of the locusts.
iii. The sugar market collapsed.