1887 Letter by Jose Rizal Discovered in Austria
JOSE RIZAL – A letter sent by the national hero of the Philippines in 1887 was recently discovered at the Vienna City Library.
According to the Philippine Embassy in Austria, the letter was found in September 2023 by Dr. Johann Stockinger, vice president of the Austro-Philippine Society. He was investigating a letter addressed to Johannes Nordmann, an Austrian writer and propagandist, which had been mistakenly attributed to an author named “José Kisz” due to the unreadable signature. Dr. Stockinger quickly recognized the true author as Rizal.
The discovery was discussed during a public lecture by Dr. Stockinger titled “Reliving Rizal: Friendship with Austria’s Johannes Nordmann,” held at the Vienna City Library on January 24, 2025. The letter, written in German, was Rizal’s response to receiving Nordmann’s book Spring Nights in Salamanca, which had been sent to him in Geneva after their meeting in Vienna. Rizal had been traveling with fellow Filipino and Propaganda Movement member, Dr. Maximo Viola, at the time.
The lecture focused on the content of the letter, in which Rizal compared aspects of Nordmann’s book to his own Noli Me Tangere. It also provided insights into Nordmann, the political climate in Austria in 1887, and the significance of the letter in understanding Rizal’s relationship with the Austrian writer. During the event, Pages 1 and 5 of Rizal’s letter were presented to the public, shedding light on this important historical discovery.
Meanwhile, José Rizal was a nationalist, writer, doctor, and advocate for political reforms during Spanish colonial rule. He studied medicine and philosophy in Europe, where he embraced liberal ideas. Rizal is best known for his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, which exposed the corruption and oppression under Spanish rule and inspired the fight for Filipino independence.
A key figure in the Propaganda Movement, Rizal used his writings to promote reforms without resorting to violence. Although he didn’t directly join the revolution, his ideas influenced the struggle for freedom. Rizal was arrested, tried for sedition, and executed on December 30, 1896.
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