Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning and thank you for coming to this unveiling ceremony of the Rizal marker.

We had initially planned to install this marker two years ago when President Arroyo had planned to visit Berlin.  Unfortunately, that did not push through.  So we are doing this today, two days after Rizal’s 144th birth anniversary.  This installation also coincides with our year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of Philippine-German relations.

So as you can see, while formal relations between our two countries began only in 1955, social and economic relations between the Philippines and Germany were already flourishing in the 1800s.  Dr Jose Rizal was in Germany from 1886 to 1887 and it was in this building that he published in March 1887 his novel, Noli Me Tangere, which inspired the Philippine revolution of 1896.

Rizal’s stay in Germany was an important part of his life, and for that matter, for Philippine history.  In the course of his travels throughout Germany, Dr Rizal had acquired a broad knowledge and understanding of Germany and its people, its history and literature, its arts and culture, and its customs and traditions, which greatly influenced his two immortal novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.  It could therefore be said that Germany influenced his writings.

In his Noli Me Tangere, Rizal mentions about German customs and traditions, the thick German forests, the romantic Rhine river, and the numerous castles he had seen in the course of his boat trip along the Rhine.  In his second novel, El Filibusterismo, the German poet mentioned by Rizal clearly refers to the great poet, dramatist, historian and philosopher Friedrich von Schiller.  Rizal’s most popular poem, To the Flowers of Heidelberg, was inspired by the beautiful flowers on the banks of the Neckar river and the Heidelberg castle.

While in Leipzig for two months, Dr Rizal translated into Tagalog language Frierich von Schiller’s William Tell, which served as his inspiration in his fight for independence for the Filipino people and is considered as Rizal’s major contribution to Tagalog literature.

During his stay in Berlin, he became a member of the Berlin Society for Anthropology, Ethnology and Pre-History.  Through his membership in this organization, he  met many noted German men of science, among them Dr Rudolf Virchow, famous scientist, anthropologist and statesman, who wielded a considerable influence on him, and Feodor Jagor, noted German ethnologist and geographer, who visited the Philippines from 1859 to 1860.

As you might all be aware, this is not the first marker to be installed in this site.  Many years before, this building has already proudly bore a marker and a bust relief of Dr Jose Rizal.  Given the new environment today, we are installing a new marker to commemorate this important part of Philippine history which Germany figures prominently.

We are fortunate to have worked closely with the Order of the Knights of Rizal for the fulfillment of this endeavor.  We are also grateful to the Senatskanzlei of Berlin, especially Mr Michael Bruch, for supporting us and to Ms Gesine Mielke, for agreeing to the installation of this marker.

We hope that with this marker, Filipinos and Germans alike, would become more aware of an important part of our history.  From 1886 to 1887, perhaps only Rizal was the Filipino in Germany.  Today, there are over 20,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Germans in this country which form a strong linkage between our two countries.  May this linkage continue to sustain the close and friendly relations between the Philippines and Germany.

With these remarks, I have now the honor to formally unveil this Rizal marker at Jägerstrasse 71.