Rizal-Blumentritt (A Friendship That Started In Mistrust)
I have always pointed out to colleagues who are into Germanistik (German Studies), Philology, and Philippine Studies the incredible amount of data, studies, and possibilities that scholars could learn just by researching both the writings of Ferdinand Blumentritt and Jose Rizal. Interestingly, University of Graz (Austria), a few years ago opened its "Sammlung" or collection of the Blumentritt-Schuchardt Correspondence. Reading it, I was led to consider new territories to understand the beginnings and the minds within the Rizal and Blumentritt friendship. One thing the Blumentritt-Schuchardt Correspondence has revealed is that long before Jose Rizal and Ferdinand Blumentritt were communicating with each other, Blumentritt was already in contact with some of the leading ilustrados and Filipino intellectuals particularly Trinidad Pardo H. de Tavera and Isabelo de los Reyes. In early 1881, Blumentritt came to know Tavera by cha nce. Helping Hugo Schuchardt (1842-1927), an immin