Philippine-German Relations (IV)
I was surprised when I learned the Philippine German Chronology. As I wrote before: The first three Germans have been on board the Concepcion and Victoria during Ferdinand Magellan’s landing on Philippine soil on March 16, 1521. Four years later (1525) the German student in Spain Maximilianus Transylvanus wrote about the Philippines in his report “De Insulis”.
Between 1673 and 1729 one could noticed the arrival of the first German Jesuits in the Philippines. In 1832 Johannes Andreas Zobel and his wife Cornelia, from Hamburg/Germany arrived and opened the “Botica Zobel”, one of the first commercial drug stores, in Intramuros.
Another milestone has been the arrival of the German vessel Alexander Barcklay in Bremen/Germany, for the first time carrying Philippine products. It was also the beginning of Philippine-German trade relations.
In 1849 the German State of Hamburg established the first consulate in Manila, followed by the German State of Bremen in 1852.
In 1859 we noticed the arrival of Karl Semper, the first German scientist, in the Philippines. Semper worked extensively in Bohol and Mindanao till 1864.
The 23rd of December 1867 became a very important day: The North German Confederation established the first German consulate in Manila with Moritz August Hermann as first consul, recommended by Otto von Bismarck and approved by the German Emperor Wilhelm I.
World politics has been done in 1877, when Germany, Spain and Great Britain signed a protocol to acknowledge Spain’s sovereignty of the Sulu Archipelago.In 1885 followed another protocol signing by Germany, Great Britain and Spain to establish freedom of trade and commerce in the Sulu Sea.
Between 1886 and 1887 the Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal stayed in Germany (Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Wilhelsmfeld and Heidelberg).
(To be continued!)
Hi Klaus,
You don’t disappoint! Thanks for the second installment.
Karen
Hi Karen, thanks a lot too. By the,it’s already the 4th part and many more will come. Have a nice day.
Hi Klaus- Its very interesting to learn that the earliest German consulates in the Philippines were both sea faring cities ie Bremen (Bremerhaven) and Hamburg. With Germany consisting of independant states in those days I never knew that there was german seafaring explorers.I think our British history lessons was biased towards the Dutch,Spanish and of course the British to the exclusion of everyone else.
Your article is very enlightening, keep up the good work.
Hi Klaus. You are a tease. I think you purposely stop in 1887 to create the suspense… Ha, ha.
It’s indeed enlightening. I can’t wait for 1898! I’m sure it will be intriguing.
Hi Jim, thanks for dropping by. Yeah indeed, history sometimes looks different from several view points. Even if I read different quotations regarding the same topic, they sound different.
Hi Dr. Long, I really didn’t stop in 1887 to create the suspense. I also don’t know if 1898 will be intriguing. Let’s wait and see. Anyway, thanks for clicking my blog.
Hi Klaus,
Oh dear, I had no internet for about five weeks. Where can I find the previous installments, please? Or are they lost in cyber-space? I also can’t locate that great list of things we need to know that was on LIP bfore the chageover. Remeber the catagory list with titles like Pets and how to handle money in the Philippines. Maybe you could direct me. I’m “Lost In Space” here.. Thanks for the history lessons.
Karen
Hi karen, if you are connected to the Internet and you click “liveinthephilippines” and search, you might find all the posted articles from the past. Just try it and surf in the net “or ,with us”. Thanks for your praises, more history lessons will follow. Have a great day, karen.
Hi Klaus. I commented to soon without knowing you already made a write-up in your post on November 13th. Thanks very much for the research.
I will comment further at your November 13th article.
Hi Dr. Long, thanks for dropping by.
Good day, Klaus,
Thanks for the advice. Keep well. I will be be anticipating your “history lessons” with delight!
Karen
Sure Karen, you too!!!