Chapter 7 Paris to Berlin (1885-87)

After completing his studies in

In

Madrid,Rizal went to Paris and Germany in order to specialize in ophthalmology. Heparticularly chose this branch of medicinebecause he wanted to cure his mothers eye ailment. In Berlin, Jose met and befriended several top German scientists,Dr.Teodor Jagor, Dr.Adolph B. Meyer and Dr. Rudolf Virchow.

In Gay Paris (1885-86)

After studying at the Central University of Madrid, Rizal, who was then 24 yrs old, went to Paris to acquire more knowledge in ophthalmology. Maximo Viola a medical student and a member of a rich family of San Miguel, Bulacan Seor Eusebio Corominas editor of La Publicidad Don Miguel Morayta owner of La Publicidad and a statesman

November 1885 Rizal was living in Paris

He worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert, a leading French

From Nov. 1885 to Feb. 1886. January 1, 1886 Rizal wrote a letter for hismother to reveal that he was rapidlyimproved his knowledge in ophthalmology.Rizal relaxed by visiting his friends, suchas the family to the Pardo de Taveras(Trinidad, Felix, and Paz), Juan Luna andFelix Resureccion Hidalgo.

Juan Luna great master of the brush; Rizal helped him by posing as model in Lunas paintings.

The Death of Cleopatra where Rizal posed as an Egyptian priest

The Blood Compact Rizal posed as Sikatuna

Rizal as Musician
Rizal had no natural aptitude for music, and this he admitted. He studied music only because many of his schoolmates at Ateneo were taking music lessons. He told Enrique Lete that he learned the solfeggio, piano, and voice culture in one month and a half. He is also a flutist.

 Some of his compositions are:

Alin Mang Lahi (Any Race) a pariotic song which asserts that any race aspires for freedom La Deportacion (Deportation) a sad danza, composed in Dapitan

In Historic Heidelberg
February 3, 1886 Rizal arrived in Heidelberg, a historic city in Germany famous for its old university and romantics surroundings. He became popular among the Germans 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, distinguished German ophthalmologist.

To the Flowers of Heidelberg

April 22, 1886 Rizal wrote a fine poem entitled A Las Flores de Heidelberg (To the Flowers of Heidelberg) because he was fascinated by the blooming flowers along the Neckar River, which is the light blue flower called forget-me-not.

To the Flowers of Heidelberg by Jose Rizal

Go to my country, go, O foreign flowers, sown by the traveler along the road, and under that blue heaven that watches over my loved ones, recount the devotion the pilgrim nurses for his native sod! Go and say say that when dawn opened your chalices for the first time beside the icy Neckar, you saw him silent beside you, thinking of her constant vernal clime. Say that when dawn which steals your aroma was whispering playful love songs to your young
sweet petals, he, too, murmured of love in his native tongue; that in the morning when the sun first traces the topmost peak of Koenigssthul in gold and with a mild warmth raises to life again the valley, the glade, the forest, he hails that sun, still in its dawning, that in his country in full zenith blazes. And tell of that day when he collected you along the way canticles

among the ruins of a feudal castle, on the banks of the Neckar, or in a forest nook. Recount the words he said as, with great care, between the pages of a worn-out book he pressed the flexible petals that he took. Carry, carry, O flowers, my love to my loved ones, peace to my country and its fecund loam, faith to its men and virtue to its women, health to the gracious beings that dwell within the sacred paternal home.

When you reach that shore, deposit the kiss I gave you on the wings of the wind above that with the wind it may rove and I may kiss all that I worship, honor and love! But O you will arrive there, flowers, and you will keep perhaps your vivid hues; but far from your native heroic earth to which you owe your life and worth, your fragrances you will lose! For fragrance is a spirit that never can forsake and never forgets the sky that saw its birth.

With Pastor Ullmer at Wilhelmsfeld

Rizal spent a three-month summer vacation at Wilhelmsfeld where he stayed at the place of a Protestant pastor, Dr. Karl Ullmer. The pastor has a wife and two children named Etta and Fritz.

First Letter to Blumentritt

July 31, 1886 Rizal wrote his first letter to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt who is the Director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria. lumentritt is an Austrian ethnologist and he has to Rizal sent Aritmetica (Arithmetic) book an Blumentritt the Philippine language.in 2 languages interest in which was published Spanish and Tagalog by the University of Santo Tomas Press in 1868. The author was Rufino Baltazar Hernandez. Blumentritt became the best friend of Rizal

Fifth Centenary of Heidelberg University

The famous University of Heidelberg held its fifth centenary celebration on August 6, 1886 where Riza had witnessed the said celebration.

In Leipzig and Dresden

August 14, 1886 Rizal arrived in Leipzig He attended some lectures at the University of Leipzig on history and psychology. He befriended Prof. Friedrich Ratzel, a famous historian, and Dr. Hans Meyer, German anthropologist.

 Rizal found out that the cost of living in Leipzig was the cheapest in Europe so he stayed for 2 months and a half. 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 Berlins Scientific Circles

Rizal was enchanted by Berlin because of its scientific atmosphere and the absence of race prejudice. Some scientists Rizal met are: Dr. Feodor Jagor German scientist-traveler and author of Travels in the Philippines Dr. Rudolf Virchow famous German anthropologist Dr. W. Joest German geographer Dr. Karl Ernest Schweigger famous German ophthalmologist

Rizals Life in Berlin

Five reasons why Rizal stayed in Berlin:
To gain further knowledge of ophthalmology To further his studies of science and languages To observe the economic and political conditions of the German nation To associate with famous German scientists and

 Rizal worked as an assistant in the clinic of Dr. Scweigger, 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 On Yuletide season, people will select a pine tree from the bushes and adorned it with lanterns, papers, lights, dolls, candies, fruits, etc. Self-introduction to strangers in a social gathering.

Rizals Darkest Winter

The winter of 1886 in Berlin was his darkest winter. He lived in poverty because no money arrived from Calamba and he was flat broke. He could not pay his landlord and he was eating only one meal a day. His clothes were old and threadbare.