CHAPTER 7

PARIS TO BERLIN (1885-1887)

In Gay Paris (1885-1886)

After completing his studies at the Central University of Madrid, Rizal, who was then 24
years old went to Paris in order to specialize in ophthalmology. He particularly chose this branch
of medicine because he wanted to cure his mother’s eye ailment.

On his way to Paris, he stopped at Barcelona to visit his friend, Maximo Viola, a
medicine student and a member of a rich family of San Miguel, Bulacan. He stayed for a week,
during his stay he befriended Seňor Eusebio Corominas, editor of the newspaper La Publicidad
and made a crayon sketch of Don Miguel Morayta, owner of La Publicidad and a statesman. He
gave Editor Corominas an article on the Carolines Question, then a controversial issue, for
publication.

In November 1885
Rizal was living in Paris, where he sojourned for about four months. He worked as an
assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert, a leading French ophthalmologist, from November 1885 to
February 1886. He rapidly improved his knowledge of ophthalmology, as revealed by his
message to his parents. He wrote, “With respect to the study of the ailment of the eyes, I am
doing well. I now know how to perform all operations; I only need to know what is going on
inside the eye, which requires much practice.”

At the Studio of Luna

Rizal spent many happy hours. He discussed with Juan Luna, the great master of the
brush, various problems on art and improved his own painting technique. He help Luna by
posing as model in several paintings. In the canvas of Luna “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.

Rizal as Musician
Rizal had no natural aptitude for music and this he admitted but he studied music because
many of his schoolmates at the Ateneo were taking music lessons. In a letter, he told Enrique
Lete that he “learned the solfeggio, piano, and voice culture in one month and a half”. However,
he confessed that he could not sing well. By constant practice, Rizal also knows how to play the
flute very well.

Some of his compositions are:

 Alin Mang Lahi (Any Race)

 It is a patriotic song which asserts that any race aspires for freedom.
 La Deportacion (Deportation)
 It is a sad danza, which he composed in Dapitan during his exile.

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 In Historic Heidelberg
After acquiring enough experience as an ophthalmologist in Dr. Weckert’s clinic, Rizal
left Paris on February 1, 1886 for Germany. He arrived on February 3, 1886 in Heidelberg, a
historic city in Germany, famous for its old university and romantic surroundings. He became
popular among the German students because they found out that he was a good chess player. He
worked at the University Eye Hospital under the direction of Dr. Otto Becker, a distinguished
German ophthalmologist.

To the Flowers of Heidelberg

On April 22, 1886, Rizal was fascinated by the blooming flowers along the Weckar River,
which is the light blue flower called “forget-me-not”. The beautiful spring flowers reminded him
of the blooming flowers at the garden of his home in Calamba. In his mood of homesickness , he
wrote a fine poem entitled “A Las Flores de Heidelberg” (To the Flowers of Heidelberg).

With Pastor Ullmer at Wilhelmsfield

After writing “To the Flowers of Heidelberg”, Rizal spent a three-month summer
vacation at Wilhelmsfield, a mountainous village near Heidelberg. He stayed at the vicarage of a
kind Protestant pastor, Dr. Karl Ullmer, who became his good friend and admirer.

First letter to Blumentritt

Blumentritt is an Austrian ethnologist and he has an interest in the Philippine language.
In July 31, 1886, Rizal wrote his first letter to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt who is the
Director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria. In his letter, Rizal said:

“I have heard that you are studying our language, and that you had already
published some work about it; permit me to send you valuable book written by my
countryman in our language. The Spanish version is mediocre because the author
is only modest writer but the Tagalog part is good, and it is precisely the language
spoken in our province.”

With the letter, Rizal sent the book which he mentioned. That book was entitled
Aritmetica (Arithmetic) and was published in two languages – Spanish and Tagalog – by the
University of Santo Tomas Press in 1868. The author was Rufino Baltazar Hernandez.

Fifth Centenary of Heidelberg University

Rizal was fortunate to be sojourning in Heidelberg when the famous University of
Heidelberg held its fifth centenary celebration on August 5, 1886.

Leipzig and Dresden

On August 9, 1886, three days after the fifth centenary of the University of Heidelberg,
Rizal left the city. He arrived in Leipzig on August 14, 1886. He attended some lectures at the

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 University of Leipzig on history and psychology. He befriended Prof. Friedrich Ratzel, a
famous historian and Dr. Hans Meyer, a German anthropologist.

On October 29, he went to Dresden where he met Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, the Director of
the Anthropological and Ethnological Museum.

Rizal Welcomed in Berlin’s Scientific Circles

Rizal was enchanted by Berlin because of its scientific atmosphere and the absence of
race prejudice. In this city, he came in contact with Paris to Berlin great scientists.

Some scientists Rizal met are:

Dr. Feodor Jagor – traveler and author of travels in the Philippines.

Dr. Rudolf Virchow – a famous German anthropologist.

Dr. Wilhelm Joest – a German geographer.

Dr. Karl Ernest Schweigger – a famous German ophthalmologist.

Rizal’s life in Berlin

Five reasons why Rizal stayed in Berlin:

1. To gain further knowledge of ophthalmology.

2. To further his studies of science and languages.
3. To observe the economic and political conditions of the German nation.
4. To associate with famous German scientist and scholars.
5. To publish his novel, Noli Me Tangere.

Rizal had frugal life in Berlin. By day, he worked as an assistant in the clinic of Dr.
Schweigger, and at night, he attended lectures in the University of Berlin. He also took private
lessons in French under Madame Lucie Cerdole.

Rizal on German Women

Rizal sent a letter to his sister Trinidad, dated on March 11, 1886. In his letter, Rizal
expressed his high regard and admiration for German womanhood. Rizal said that German
woman is serious, diligent, educated and friendly.

German Customs
Some of the German customs Rizal admired:

 Yuletide season (Christmas season), people will select a pine tree from the bushes
and adorned it with lanterns, papers, lights, dolls, candies, fruits, etc.

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  He admired the German custom he observed the self-introduction to strangers
in a social gathering. According to the German code of etiquette, it is bad
manners for a guest to remain aloof, and wait for his host or hostess to make
the proper introduction.

Rizal’s Darkest Winter

The winter of 1886 in Berlin was his darkest winter. During this bleak winter, he lived in
poverty because no money arrived from Calamba and he was flat broke. He could not pay his
landlord. He was eating only one meal a day. His clothes were old and threadbare. He washed
them himself because he could not afford to pay the laundry. Rizal starved in Berlin and shivered
with wintry cold. His health broke down due to lack of proper nourishment. He began to cough,
and he feared that he was going to be sick with tuberculosis.

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