Klaus Doring

The meanwhile 52-years Philippine-German partnership has been celebrated again in Manila. 52 years partnership characterized by the strong ties between both countries can be tracked back to 1521, when Magellan landed on Philippine soil with German sailors on board the Concepcion and the Victoria. The German banker Jakob Fugger from Augsburg, who might be regarded as the first German investor in the Philippines, mostly financed the voyage.

German priests and nuns like the German Jesuits (1673-1729) were part of the religious orders that Christianized  the Philippines. In 1859 the first German  scientist Karl Semper arrived. He worked in Bohol and Mindanao till 1864. Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero stayed in Heidelberg (” A las flores de Heidelberg) and studied later in Berlin where in 1867 he wrote “Noli Me Tangere”, which inspired the revolution of 1896. In Germany Rizal sought out scholars and exchanged ideas with them, nurturing their friendship till the end.

As for trade relations, after a treaty was signed 52 years ago, German has become a major trading partner.

My mentor Professor Dr. Hermogenes E. Bacareza, a Divine Word Missionary and former Chaplain of the Philippine Community in Berlin, describes in his book “A History of Philippine-German Relations” many details, being of great importance and topical even nowadays as follows:

” Historicall, the Philippines and Germany have been bound by special ties for a long time. Unfortunately, however, modern Filipinos as well as Germans do not have a clear and comprehensive of Philippine-German relations. To many Filipinos who have never read a book about Germany, this Teutonic country is commonly associated with cold winter climate, Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz, potato and beer, industry coupled with stubbornness and arrogance, Hitler and Nazism. On the other hand, to many simple, rural and less educated Germans who have never had the chance to come to the Philippines or have never cared to learn something about this country, think: Filipinos are small, brown, cheerful, easygoing and primitive people inhabiting a cluster of 7000 islands in the Far East!”

Far East? I even met a doctor before, who asked me, if he could “find the Philippines somewhere in the Caribbean Sea”… (!).

Basta - the Philippines, a developing country in the Third World!

This blog should also help for a better mutual understanding in future, especially between Germans and Filipinos, which doesn’t mean, that “other strangers, living in the Philippines” should stop reading this blog. Ideas, questions and comments are very welcome.

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Philippine-German Relations (XIII)
Are you lonely today?
PhilHealth - important and or not?
Philippine Dreams
Time is limited…
I have a dream…
Winter in the Philippines?
The forgotten gratitude
High Tech gets me down