Ferdinand Blumentritt was an Austrian teacher, secondary school principal in Leitmeritz, lecturer, and author of articles and books in the Philippines and its ethnography. He is well known in the Philippines for his close friendship with the writer and PropagandistJosé Rizal, and the numerous correspondence between the two provide a vital reference for Rizal historians and scholars, including his last letter from prison before the execution.
Biography
Blumentritt was born in Prague. Blumentritt wrote extensively about the Philippines, although he never visited the islands, corresponding with the then Filipino student and writer José Rizal, who later became a national hero. Blumentritt's relationship with Rizal began as early as July 1886. Blumentritt became one of Rizal's closest confidants although they met only once. He translated a chapter of the latter's first book, Noli Me Tangere, into German and wrote the preface to Rizal's second book, El filibusterismo, although he was against its publication as he believed that it would lead to Rizal's death. These two novels are commentaries disguised as fiction which angered both the Catholic Church and the Spanish colonial government, and which eventually led to Rizal's 1896 trial and execution. Before the execution in Manila, Rizal wrote his final letter for Blumentritt. Blumentritt reportedly cried after receiving the letter. Alongside Rizal, Blumentritt was a significant contributor to the publication La Solidaridad, published by Filipino expatriates from 1889 to 1895 as a voice for advocacy of political reforms in the Philippines. From 1900, Blumentritt was a member of the Berlin Society for Anthropology. Blumentritt died in Litoměřice, Bohemia. He is memorialized in the Philippines by numerous public parks and streets. Among them are Blumentritt Road, Blumentritt station, Blumentritt railway station, the Blumentritt Market in Metro Manila and the Blumentritt Street in Naga City and Tuguegarao. His relations with Rizal also caused the twin status of the Czech town of Litoměřice with the Philippine towns of Calamba and Dapitan.
Main works
Alphabetisches Register der Reifeprüfungsvorschriften. Leitmeritz, 1909
Alphabetisches Verzeichnis der gebräuchlichsten Aquarellfarben. Leitmeritz, 1910
America and the Philippines
Die Chinesen auf den Philippinen. Leitmeritz, 1879
Diccionario mitologico de Filipinas. Madrid, 1895
Einige Manuskripte aus dem 17. und 18. Jahrhundert. Leitmeritz, 1904
Introduction to the Noli me tangere of Rizal. Barcelona, 1889
Introduction to the Sucesos de las islas Filipinas of Antonio de Morga, annotated by Rizal. Paris, 1890
Die Erdbeben des Juli 1880 auf den Philippinen
Die Goldfundstellen auf den Philippinen und ihre Ausbeutung
Holländische Angriffe auf die Philippinen im 16., 17., und 18. Jahrhundert. Leitmeritz, 1880
Das Kaiserbild. Leitmeritz, 1899
J. C. Labhart-Lutz. Ein Nachruf. Leitmeritz, 1889
Die Philippinen. Eine übersichtliche Darstellung der ethnographischen und historischpolitischen Verhältnisse des Archipels. Hamburg, 1900
Die Sprachgebiete Europas am Ausgange des Mittelalters, verglichen mit den Zuständen der Gegenwart. Prague, 1883
Strömungen und Gezeiten an der Küste von Mindanao.
Der "Tratado Anonimo" über den Aufstand der Cumuneros gegen König Carl V. Leitmeritz, 1878
Versuch einer Ethnographie der Philippinen. Gotha, 1882. Translated from the German into English by Marcelino N. Maceda.
Vocabular einzelner Ausdrücke und Redensarten, welche dem Spanischen der philippinischen Inseln eigenthümlich sind. Leitmeritz, 1882, 1883–1884|8, 1885|5.
The Dapitan Correspondence of Dr.Jose Rizal and Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt. Compiled by Romeo G. Jalosjos. The City Government Dapitan City: Philippines, 2007..
Harry Sichrovsky: Der Revolutionär von Leitmeritz. Ferdinand Blumentritt und der philippinische Freiheitskampf . Wien: Österr. Bundesverl., 1983.
