Jose Rizal On Johannes Nordmann (1820-1887)

 

On Johannes Nordmann (1820-1887)

Who was Johannes Nordmann? -- He was an Austrian writer and journalist. For some time now, Nordmann has been slowly making his way into Filipino awareness and narratives, mainly due to his interaction with our national hero, José Rizal. Last year, Austrian professor Johann Stockinger stumbled upon a letter addressed to Nordmann with an odd name. Examining the handwriting, content, and, above all, the signature, Stockinger—one of the foremost Rizal scholars in Europe—realized it was a case of mislabeling. The letter was, of course, from Rizal, and its contents confirmed it beyond doubt.

During his European tour before returning to the Philippines, Rizal visited Vienna from May 20 to 25, 1887. He was accompanied by his friend Dr. Maximo Viola, and they carried letters of introduction to prominent scholars in Vienna at the time. Who wrote these letters? None other than Ferdinand Blumentritt. Incidentally, Rizal and Viola had been with the Blumentritts in early May of that year, and Vienna was next on their itinerary.

Upon arriving in Vienna, Rizal wrote to Blumentritt:

"Herr Nordmann ist ein sehr sympathischer alter Herr; wenn ich einen Vater auswählen könnte, (d. h. wenn der meine nie auf der Erde gewesen wäre, so hätte ich den Herrn Nordmann zum Vater erwählt, denn er und mein Vater ist auch liebenswürdig, gesellig, höflich und hat die jungen Leute gern, wie auch der Herr Nordmann. Er hat uns seiner guten alten Frau und Tochter vorgestellt, freute uns im Hotel besucht, eine Strecke mit uns spazieren gegangen, mich in den Club eingeführt und Theaterbillet gegeben. Der ist ein sehr ausgezeichneter Mensch."

Translation:

"Mr. Nordmann is a very kind old gentleman; if I could choose a father (i.e., if mine had never been on this earth), I would have chosen Mr. Nordmann as my father. For he, like my father, is also kind, sociable, polite, and fond of young people, just like Mr. Nordmann. He introduced us to his good old wife and daughter, visited us at the hotel, took a walk with us, introduced me to the club, and gave theater tickets. He is a truly remarkable person."

Nordmann turned out to be another father figure for Rizal (much like the old Reinhold Rost in London). In the recently discovered letter from Rizal to Nordmann, our national hero thanked him for the book he had sent. Nordmann, likely aware—perhaps through background information from Blumentritt—that Rizal had written an anti-clerical novel stirring controversy in the Philippines, may have chosen to send him a copy of one of his own works: Frühlingsnächte in Salamanca (Spring Nights in Salamanca), published in 1853. This novel also reflected the growing unpopularity of religious orders in 19th-century Europe.

How well-connected and renowned was Nordmann? Well, just as Rizal described him—a remarkable man. Even the famous pianist-composer Franz Liszt corresponded with him, and some of Nordmann’s works were set to music by Liszt himself.

Johannes Nordmann died on August 20, 1887, exactly three months after Rizal met him in Vienna. Blumentritt sent Rizal, who was already in Calamba, a postcard bearing the sad news. Rizal likely responded, expressing his sorrow over losing someone who had reminded him of his father. However, the letter from Rizal dated August 27, 1887, published in the Blumentritt-Rizal Correspondence, was incomplete. It is possible that Rizal felt the loss and made it known in this letter.

Finally, the discovery of this mislabeled letter is further proof of the role Austrian scholars played in shaping Rizal’s intellectual development. It also serves as a reminder of the significant role Blumentritt played in this reality—an important clarification that Blumentritt was Austrian, not Czech, as some recent claims suggest.

Rizal continues to haunt my mornings. (sigh)

POSTSCRIPT

First page of Rizal's Letter to Nordmann

My Translation of the whole letter