Chapter 8 Noli Me Tangere Pubished In Berlin (1887)

Bleak winter of 1886 no money arrived from Calamba, and he was flat broke.
Diamond ring from Saturnina was pawned. Specifically memorable for 2 reasons:
(1) Hungry, sick and despondent in a strange city
(2) Great joy after enduring coz his first novel Noli Me Tangere was published in
March, 1887.

Dr. Maximo Viola likened to Santa Claus, rich friend from Bulacan, came to Berlin
and loaned him needed funds to publish the novel.

Harriet Beecher Stowes Uncle Tom Cabin inspired Rizal to prepare a novel that
would depict the miseries of his people (Filipinos) under the lash of Spanish tyranny.

Jan. 2, 1884 reunion of Filipinos in the Paterno residence in Madrid, Rizal proposed to
write a novel about the Philippines in front of group of Filipinos and was approved by the
Paternos (Pedro, Maximo and Antonio), Graciano Lopez Jaena, Evaristo Aguirre,
Eduardo De Lete, Julio Llorente, Melecio Figuera and Valentin Ventura.

Towards the end of 1884 Rizal began writing the novel in Madrid & finished of it.
At Paris, in 1885 after completing his studies in Central University of Madrid,
continued and finished of the second half.
Germany finished of the novel.
Wilhelmsfeld in April to June 1886 wrote the last few chapters of the novel

Chapter 24: Elias and Salome Was deleted to save printing expenses

February 21, 1887 the novel was finally finished and ready for printing

Berliner Buchdruckrei-Action-Gesselschaft printing shop w/ lowest rate of 300

pesos for 2,000 copies

Rizal suspected as French Spy during the printing of Noli, chief police of Berlin
visited Rizals boarding house and requested to see his passport, Rizal has no passport
and was told to produce within 4 days.

Court of Benomar accompanied by Dr. Maximo Viola went to the Spanish

Ambassador for passport but failed for he has no power to do it

Rizals reason he said that he is a Filipino ethnologist using the German language was
allowed to stay freely in Germany

March 21, 1887 the novel came off the press and sent a copy to Blumentritt, Dr.
Antonio Regidor, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce, and Felix R. Hidalgo.
I am sending you a book, my first book bold book on the life of the tagalongs
Filipino will find it the history of the last ten years

March 29, 1887 gave a token to Viola the galley proofs of the Noli around the pen
he used saying To my dear friend, Maximo Viola, the first to read and appreciate
my work Jose Rizal

Latin phrase Touch Me Not from the Gospel of St. John Ch. 20 Verse 13 to 17
writes to Felix Hidalgo on March 5, 1887 explaining the source of the title and was
mistaken to be from St. Luke. Touch me not; I am not yet ascended to my father

Philippines or To My Fatherland from where Rizal dedicated the novel

63 chapters and an epilogue novel length

Dr. Antonio Regidor exiled due to complicity in the Cavite Mutiny of 1872, read
and impressed on the novel