A handwritten letter by Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal to Austrian journalist Johannes Nordmann has been discovered in the Vienna City Library archives. The five-page document, dated June 1887, sheds new light on Rizal’s travels in Europe after publishing Noli Me Tangere.
The discovery was made by Austrian cultural anthropologist Dr. Johann Stockinger in September 2023 while researching historical letters addressed to Nordmann. Stockinger, who presented the letter at a lecture on January 24, 2025, initially mistook the document due to a mislabeling in the library’s records.
“The first letter that appeared [from the search results] was from ‘Jose Kisz.’ When I looked at the first page, I didn’t find anything special. But on the second page, I saw the phrase, ‘In my novel, Noli Me Tangere…’ That’s when I realized it must be an original,” Stockinger explained in a GMA News report.
Vienna City Library officials admitted they were unaware of the letter’s existence until Stockinger’s discovery. “Our librarian colleagues saw the signature, but it was very difficult to read,” said library representative Gerhard Murauer. The document has since been correctly cataloged and made accessible online.
The letter reveals that Rizal visited Chamonix, France—previously unknown to historians—before heading to Italy in June 1887. It also details his thoughts on Nordmann’s novel Frühlingsnächte in Salamanca, in which Rizal empathized with the author’s struggles against Austrian censorship, comparing them to the oppression he faced under Spanish rule.
“You have written an excellent description of the past of the monasteries and yet you suffered so much. What will I suffer for having written about the present situation of our monasteries in a mediocre novel?” Rizal wrote.
Philippine Ambassador to Austria Evangelina Lourdes Bernas lauded the discovery, calling it a “singular find.” She also emphasized the importance of translating Rizal’s German-language works to make them more accessible to Filipino and international audiences.
Stockinger, whose research on Rizal was inspired by a visit to the Philippines, highlighted the importance of examining original sources, warning that mistranslations often misrepresent historical facts.
The lecture concluded with reflections on Rizal’s personality, with Stockinger’s wife, Letty, noting that the letter revealed his humility and deep knowledge of European literature.
The Philippine Embassy in Vienna expressed its commitment to further collaborations that strengthen historical and cultural ties between the Philippines and Austria.
