Blumentritt, Ferdinand (1853-1913), was an Austrian teacher, scholar, and promoter of Philippine independence. Although he never visited the Philippines, Blumentritt wrote numerous scholarly articles about the Philippines and established a friendship with the Filipino leader José Rizal.
Blumentritt maintained an extensive correspondence with Filipino political figures and with the German-speaking merchant community in the Philippines. He frequently invited Filipinos and Europeans interested in the Philippines to his house in Leitmeritz (now Litomerice, in the Czech Republic) for scholarly and political discussions. His writings on the Philippines included topics as diverse as biography, economy, statistics, geography, history, cartography, and ethnography, the scientific description of various social and cultural groups. He also translated works by the Philippine writers Isabelo de los Reyes and Trinidad Pardo de Tavera.
José Rizal, who studied in Heidelberg, Germany, wrote to Blumentritt in 1886 and visited his Leitmeritz home in 1887. Blumentritt introduced Rizal to the German scholars Fedor Jagor and Rudolf Virchow, who both had a scholarly interest in the Philippines.
Blumentritt’s close association with Rizal changed his views. Before meeting Rizal, Blumentritt was a supporter of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. After his friendship with Rizal, Blumentritt became critical of the excesses of Catholic priests in the Spanish colony. His scholarly interest in the Philippines changed into political activism. Their friendship and correspondence lasted until Rizal’s execution in 1896. Blumentritt wrote numerous articles for La Solidaridad, a magazine published in Barcelona, Spain, that campaigned for reforms in the Philippines.
Blumentritt was born on Sept. 10, 1853, in Prague, where he received his schooling and university education. After obtaining a doctorate in history and geography at the age of 24, he became a teacher in Leitmeritz. He died on Sept. 20, 1913.
