Chapter 9: Rizal in France

and Germany
Leader: Mark Christian V. Magalong
Members:
Angela Mamaradlo
Carlo Marasigan
Neo Malolos
Rose Anne Mallari
 Rizal in Paris, France

While in Madrid, Rizal wanted to go home in the Philippines as

early as 1884, which he stated in his letter to his family dated
November 26, 1884; Rizal wrote, “I expressed to you my desire
to return there (Philippines) as soon as possible.” However, on
January 1, 1885, Paciano Rizal, his elder brother, in a letter
replied to Rizal, “I think that you should continue your studies
there and end them when or sources are exhausted.” With this
answer, Rizal felt that Paciano, was against his decision to go
home.
Rizal’s Contribution to the Paintings of Juan
Luna
The Monkey and the Turtle – Sketched by Rizal for Paz
Pardo de Tavera, the love then of Juan Luna.

The Death of Cleopatra – Rizal posed and portrayed as an

Egyptian priest.

Blood Compact – Rizal posed and portrayed as Chief

Sikatuna of Bohol.
 Rizal’s French Literary Works
While in Paris in 1885, Jose Rizal composed and wrote several prose
in French language that he mastered just like Spanish and German
language.

Marie Colombier: The Pistol of the Little Baromess – This is a book

review done by Rizal, he gave comments on the plot of the novel
where he was amazed of the author who was a woman writing in a
manly way. The following are his as views in the essay:
Certainly other is vice everywhere and in all classes of society and he
more on goes up, the more vice one finds, because idleness, wealth
and comfortable life are three favorable things for its development
but we ought in believe that the whole species is perverted.
The Kite sad and the Hen – In this prose Rizal
presented the happy start and sad end of Mrs. Hen’s
story when lost the ring she borrowed form Mr. Kite (A
cruel and sanguinary bird). The following are
translated lines from the story:
Since then he has searched forever and everywhere, in
the sand as well as in the wheat, and all her
unfortunate descendants, shedding very bitter tears
will continue to search until the end of time of their
race. In the meantime, the kite will demand without
pit from the innocent victims of their grandmother’s
The Fisherwoman and the Fish – (The story was
patterned from his readings in French and German).
Rizal presented in the story, a conversation of
fisherwoman and a very small fish. The fisherwoman
invited the fish in her home, after a lengthy discussion,
the fish agree on the condition that it would touch the
pink lips and little white teeth of the fisherwoman. The
following translated line are excerpts form the story:
For this reason, we say at home: “He’s as intelligent as a
fish.”; but the Germans say: “I’m sane like a fish.”
There’s intelligence in a healthy body.
Alphose Daudet: Sur Les Alpes – This is a book
review of Rizal, were he expressed his
comments on the characters of the play such as
Tartarin and Bompard. The excerpt below in the
view of Rizal found in this work:
But one cannot always write according to the
veracity and reality of things. Every Human
work has its faults.
 Rizal in Germany

On February 1, 1886, Rizal left Paris, France and

proceeded to Heidelberg, Germany and arrived
there on February 3. He entered a strongly
Protestant dominant are in stayed in a boarding
house at No. 16 Karistrasse which was managed by
a German Lady Nebel.
 Heidelberg

In Heidelberg, Germany, Rizal stated his observation of the manners of

Germans, through a letter to his family, “To the Germans it is a bad
taste if one remains aloof and indifferent especially at social function.”
“A German woman is serious, studious and diligent.” He wanted to
learn the German technique in the field of Ophthalmology, in a regular
basis, he assisted in the clinic for eye diseases (Augen Klinik) under the
direction of oculist named otto Becker with whom he became an
expert Ophtalmologist.
Rizal later moved to a new boarding house located near the Heidelberg University. He could
not help but appreciated Heidelberg, with its beautiful flowers that reminded him of
Calamba with this scenery. Rizal wrote a poem dated April 22, 1886, entitled Flores de
Heidelberg (To the Flowers of Heidelberg) a literary piece he dedicated to the beautiful place.
The following lines are excerpts from the poem.

Go to my country, exotic flowers

Sown by the traveler on his path
And “neath her cerulean skies,
That keep my loves in their bow’rs
Tell them about the faith,
For his native land, the pilgrim sighs!
Go ye and say…….. say that when the dawn

Opened your calyx for the first time,

By the frozen Neckar’s side,
Your thinking or your constant springtime.
Say thou that when the breeze

That steals away your scents

To you murmurs songs of love a playing
He too was murmuring
Songs of romance in his native accent;
And when he sun gilds the spire
Of Koenigsthul in the morning,
And with its tepid fire
The vale, woods and thicket animates,
 Rizal in Leipzig and Dresden
As a natural traveler, Rizal on August 9, 1886, left
Heidelberg, and boarded the boat Reinstall and
traveled to Leipzig, Germany. After passing in Mainz,
he transferred to steamer Niedewald, passing, Rhine
River, Kastel, Frankfurt and finally in Leipzig, where
to stayed for two months. Rizal had frequent
correspondence with Professor Ferdinand
Blumentritt, his bosom friend.
 Rizal in Berlin

In Berlin, Rizal mastered the German language and

improved his English grammar and by that time, he
also mastered major languages in Europe. This gave
Rizal the capability to read books in different
language and have access to different libraries like
the Imperial Library in Germany and later the British
Museum Library in England.
 Rizal’s Writings in Berlin
In January 26, 1887, Rizal became and official member of the
Ethnographic Society, and on February 7, he joined the
Anthropological Society of Berlin. Later, Rizal was qualified as
a member of the Geographic Society of Berlin, after
submitting a study entitled (Tagalische Verskunst)

Tagalische Verskunst (Tagalog Metrical Art) – This was the

title of the project submitted by Rizal to the Geographic
Society of Berlin, which was in Tagalog metrical verse written
in German language.
Etnografia y Antropologia de Los Pueblos Primitvos (Ethnography and
Anthropology of Primitive Towns) – Was a rare book on Ethnograhy and
Anthropology which Rizal translated and sent to the Philippines in Calamba.

Enthnographe der Insel Mindanao (Ethnography of the Islands of Mindanao) –

This was the work of Blumentrittt about Mindanao which was written in German
language, that Rizal translated to the tagalog language for his friend.

Significance of Palm Sunday – In this work written in French, while Rizal was in
Berlin, Germany in 1887. He gave importance of commemorating Palm Sunday
and the existence of the Catholic faith. The following are line from the essay:

It was the poor who first accepted Christianity; yes it was the poor who seeing in
their priests not the ministers of God but despots, hailed in Jesus the Man of God,
the man to whom poverty was not a stigma and who could deliver them from
their misfortunes.
 Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere
The novel is considered as the masterpiece written by Rizal,
that began in his first sojourn in Europe. While moving from
one country and city in Europe, he wrote the novel that was
considered his greatest contribution to the Philippines and
the world. In this work, he was firm in his conviction that
there was a dinstinction between thae Spanish government
and Spanish religious order in the Philippines, which led to
the suffering of the Filipino to become an oppressed people.
 Noli me Tangere Sypnosis
Over the past seven years, Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra y Magsalin, usually referred toas Ibarra
, has been studying in Europe, while he's a Filipino mestizo. His mate, a popular man nam
ed Captain Tiago, holds a reunion dinner as he arrives back in 
the Philippines. Ibarra had been in Europe for so long that he had no idea what was going 
on in this region.

Another family acquaintance, Lord Guevara, follows him as Ibarra walks home 
from dinner and tells him that Ibarra's father died in jail following a campaign of slander a
gainst him and that Father Dámaso had a hand in his murder. After 
Rafael Ibarra unintentionally murdered a man who beat a young child, he was 
arrested and assaulted on charges of subversion and hereticism. Father Dámaso accused t
he elder Ibarra of not confessing.

María Clara informs Father Dámaso that Linares, the guy she's now engaged to, 
can't marry, and threatens to commit suicide unless she's allowed to join a
convent. Since Ibarra is dead, a newspaper wrote, she can't bear the thought of 
 Character of the Noli Me Tangere
1. Juan Crisostomo Ibarra – The most important character
in the novel, manifesting in him the Filipino who acquired
European ideas through his education in Europe in the
novel. Ibarra’s personality will result in the disagreements
of liberal idealism in education and conservatism
represented by the Catholic Church.
2. Elias – The character that Rizal placed to represent the
Filipino masses who suffered from Spanish brutalities and
abuse due to their powerlessness in the novel, and in real
Philippine social situation of that time.
3. Maria Clara – In her, Ibarra fallen in-love as she also
mirrored the Filipina woman of religious upbringing and
orientation. Through her love to Ibarra, she represented true
fidelity and religiosity of the woman in real Filipino society.
4. Don Rafael Ibarra – Known in the plot as a concerned
citizen and property owner who was the father of Crisostomo
Ibarra. Padre Damaso who plays an antagonist role calls him
a heretic and rebel, due to his views on liberalism in society.
5. Dona Victorina – Wife of Don Tiburcio de Espanadana,
known in the novel as a trying hard rich Filipina woman who
abhors anything that is Filipino and clings to Spanish way of
life. This kind of character was manifested in some Filipinos
of that time.
6. Capitan Tiago or Don Anastaciao delos Santos – An
illegal opium trader who subsequently was a landlord. He
represents a different view in religion and thus, more of a
businessman who uses his money to work for him even in
religious life and obligations.
7. Sisa – She represented in the novel a sad plight of the
Filipina mothers losing her two sons, Basilio and Crispin. In
the novel, Sisa looses her sainty.
8. Pilosopong Tasyo – He portrayed the role of a
Philosopher who was completely misunderstood in many
aspects, he argues with the belief of the Catholic Church,
social changes and concerns in the novel.
9. The School Master – A teacher at San Diego,
his views in the novel represented the weak,
obsolete and useless education in the
Philippines. He attributes the problem from
facilities and methods of learning that the
friars implemented in the country.
10. Padre Damaso – An antagonist in character
and represented the un-Christian works of the
Catholic friars who are in the church.
Through his novel, Rizal unveiled the real situation of the Philippines
as explained in the following lines patterned after Rizal’s original
explanation in his letter:

He described in the novel, the condition of the Philippine society, the

Filipino life, beliefs, hopes, and desires.

He stated the laments and grievances of the Filipino people and

revealed the hypocrisy of the friars, using religion to impoverish and
brutalize the Filipino people.

He differentiated the true and false Catholic religion, and presented

how the friars were using the church teachings to extract money from
the native Filipino populace.
 Reactions to Rizal’s Noli
This was the first work of a Malay Filipino, through a
novel; it depicted the condition of his country. Upon
the release of the novel, critiques from intellectuals
started to pour. It was the best seller of that time;
everybody wants to get a copy, especially in the
Philippines. The following were the reactions to
Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere:
 Rizal’s Friends
Antonio Regidor, from Europe “Today I have funished reaading
your most interesting book and I must tell you candidly” that I
have not read a more truthful or more graphic description of
our much slandered and chastised society.”

Evaristo Aguirre, from Europe “I have read it and I am

enchanted by it. I congratulate you then and I am one of those
who think that is the first work of its kind.”

Jose M. Cecillio, from manila “We hope you will send here
thousands of copies through the way I mentioned to you in my
Ferdinand Blumentritt, from Leitmeritz “Your work, as
we Germans say, has written with the blood of the
heart and for this reason it speaks also to the heart. A
thousand thanks for your magnificent book.”
 Attacks and Defense for the Noli Me tangere

When Rizal published the Noli, it created an uproar of debate, condemnation,

affirmation and accusations on both the Spaniards and Filipinos in Spain and in the
Philippines. When the Dominican Congregation in the Philippines got a copy of the
novel, they immediately formed a committee composed of members from the
University of Santo Tomas, to give verdict on the Noli. The committee after reading the
novel stated that, it was an attack against the Catholic religion and the state; they
declared that the book attacked the integrity of spain in the Philippines.

Filipinos and concerned foreign intellectuals gave a strong defense and actions for the
first Filipino radical novel. Mariano Ponce, through a letter, informed Rizal of the
attacks on the Noli in the Philippines. While the friars in the Philippines and Spanish
politicians in Spain were attacking the Noli, Jose Maria Basa, sworm enemy of the
friars, who became a wealthy businessman in Hong Kong, and mariano Ponce were
busy shipping and selling the Noli Me tangere in Manila.
 Rizal Decides to Go home to the Philippines

Before the Noli Me Tangere was published, Rizal wrote a

letter to his elder brother expressing his intention to go
home in the Philippines. In another letter addressed to
Blumentritt in April 1887, Rizal wrote to his friend:

“Within a few days I’ll leave Berlin with my countrymen en

route to the Philippines,” I’ll return to my country because
my father has already forgiven me and I have permission to
learn home. This day (April 24, 1887 the letter arrived) is for
me a day of glory!
After his grand tour with Maximo Viola visiting
Dresden, Tachen (now Czechoslovakia), Lemerits, and
Bohemia and had his first meeting with Professor
Blumentritt, then they traveled to Prague, Vienna,
Danube River, Switzerland, Geneva and lastly in Italy.
On July 3, 1887, Rizal boarded that steamer Djemnah,
which was the same steamer he boarded in Singapore
five years ago, Rizal was the only Filipino passenger in
the ship. He was determined to go home in the
Philippines.
“In order to read the destiny of a people, it
is necessary to open the book of its past.”

Jose rizal, “The Philippines a Century

Hence”

Thank you for

Listening……..