Rizal's Travel

Rizal in Berlin, Germany
1 November 1886
At 1:25 P.M., Rizal arrived at Berlin and boarded at the Central Hotel.
2 November 1886
Rizal wrote a letter to his friend Pastor Karl Ullmer informing the latter of his arrival at the big German capital the day before. He wrote: "Remembrances to your loving wife, Eta and to Friedrich."
4 November 1886
In a letter he informed Prof. Blumentritt about his meeting with Dr. A.B. Meyer last October 31 in Dresden. He was already residing at Jaeger Straesse 71,111.
9 November 1886
He was admitted to the Real Biblioteca de Berlin to do some research and to read other books. His admission ended on March 1,1887.
22 November 1886
In a letter, he informed Pro. Blumentritt that he had already sent to his nephews in the Philippines the tragedies of Schiller and the stories of anderson, which he translated into Tagalog.
27 November 1886
He made a small outline of the Teruray, dialect of the binhabitants of the Western coast of Mindanao,which he later sent to Prof. Blumentritt.
11 December 1886
Maximo Viola joined Rizal in Berlin. Rizal was not able to meet Viola at the station because the former was sick.
12 December 1886
Early in the morning Rizal visited Viola at the Central Hotel. They took breakfast together I the restaurant below then hotel.
15 December 1886
He started teaching Viola the German language.
23 December 1886
He started dreaming of his mother.
24 December 1886
Rizal was high spirit although he just recovered from sickness. He was very happy to be with Maximo Viola. He finished translating one third of the book Waitz.
25 December 1886
Rizal wrote his mother: "It is three times now that I constantly dream you and sometimes the dreaam repeats itself in a single night. I would not like to superstitious even if the Bible and the Gospel believe dreams, but I like to believe that you are thinking constantly me and this makes my mind reproduce what goes on in you for after all my brain is a part of yours, and this is not stran because while I am asleep here, you are awake there."
27 December 1886
He was required by the German police to provide himself with the necessary passports or the risk of being expelled from German soil after three weeks.
30 December 1886
In a letter, told Prof. Blumentritt, of a plan of Maximo Viola to cope with him to Leitmeritz during his visit there.
31 December 1886
A certain Captain and ex-aide of Geneva Moltke of the French-pruss War invited Rizal to his home to celebrate the incoming New Year. Before this fiesta, Rizal bought a pair of chin pitchers, painting them figure of an old man representing the outgoing year and a boy personifying the incoming year.
January 1887
He became a member of the Ethnographic Society of Berlin in whose meeting he had the rare opportunity of hearing the interesting lecture of Dr. Donitz on pre-historic Japanese tombs which contained sets of dishes and other decorations.
11 January 1887
He met personally Dr. Teodor Jagor who invited him to attend the monthly luncheon of the member of the Geographic Society. In one of luncheons, he came to know the famous Virchow, president of the Anthropological Society of Berlin.
24 January 1887
He was again sick of fever and in the evening had stopped working on the novel. If not for Maximo Viola, he would have transferred to Italy where according to him the climate was healthful.
26 January 1887
He planned to translate the book of travels of Dr. Jagor as soon as he would finish translating the book of Waitz. By spring, he hoped to finish this works.
21 March 1887
Copies of his novel came off the press. He sent one copy to Prof. Blumentritt. In a letter of his Austrian friend, he say it was the first impartial and daring book to be written on the life of the Tagalogs. He opined that the Spanish authorities and the friar would attack the book.
29 March 1887
In grateful appreciation of Maximo Viola’s pecuniary aid, Rizal presented him the last galley proofs and the first bound copy with this dedication: "To my dear friend, Maximo Viola, the first to read and appreciate my work- Jose Rizal, March 29, 1887, Berlin."
April 1887
Rizal read before the Ethnographic Society of Berlin the "Arte Metrica del Tagalog", a thesis submitted by him to become a member of the same society in the same year.
12 April 1887
He received a gift from Blumentritt. It was an Ethno-graphic map of Central Mindanao published by the Cartographic Institute of Gotha.
13 April 1887
With Maximo Viola, Rizal studied the map sent him by Prof. Blumentritt. He said it is very necessary for every one to know first his own country- "Nosce te ipsum". He considered the Filipinos unfortunate because they had to receive new knowledge about themselves from foreigners.
24 April 1887
He was happy to receive the letter of pardon from his beloved father. He definitely decided to go home and help his folks.
– Later he sent an advance notice to Prof Blumentritt of their coming visit to Leitmeritz.
April 1887
By the end of April, Rizal left in Berlin for Dresden where the most famous "Musco Etnografico" was located. He met there the wise Filipinoogist director of the museum, Dr. A. B. Meyer, uthor of the excellent monographs.
11 May 1887
Accompanied by Maximo Viola, Rizal left Berlin to visit the cities of Eurupe, including Dresden, Leitmeritz, Prague, Vienna, Munich, Nuremberg, Ulm, Lausanne, and Geneva.
Rizal is very observant in Germany, like he said that on German customs they are very accommodating introduction to strangers in a social gathering is a must, and his observation on women that German women are more serious, diligent and friendly. Comparing it to the Filipino women, that Filipinas are more interest on them looks.

Friendship with Ferdinand Blumentritt
MANILA, Philippines - 2013 marks the 100th death anniversary of Ferdinand Blumentritt, the greatest foreign friend of José Rizal – a new book was published on this occasion.
This year, on 20 September 2013, it will be exactly 100 years that Ferdinand Blumentritt died in Leitmeritz. A new book on Blumentritt was written by Professor F.P.A. Demeterio III entitled “Ferdinand Blumentritt and the Philippines”(De La Salle University Publishing House, Manila 2013). First copies of the book were presented at the De La Salle University on 3 July 2013.
Ferdinand Blumentritt (1853-1913) was an outstanding scholar from the small Bohemian town of Leitmeritz in then Austria-Hungary. He was the closest foreign friend of the Philippine national hero José Rizal and is still the most important symbol in the bilateral history between Austria and the Philippines and beyond, between the Philippines and Central Europe. These two men of very different characters shared many common ideas. They were both able to communicate not only in their respective mother tongues German and Tagalog, but also in Spanish and English.
On a very personal note, let me stress again that Rizal and Blumentritt were two men of very different characters. I personally think that this is the main reason why they complemented each other so perfectly: Rizal the energetic genius, travelling around the world, Blumentritt the scholar, the professor, studying on his desk, who never visited the Philippines. This was a perfect combination for a successful and mutually inspiring friendship between two great men!