Two cities in the Czech Republic have put up memorials of Rizal, who visited the country with his friend Maximo Viola in 1887. A bust created by Filipino sculptor Jose Giroy was installed at the foyer of the Czech National Bank headquarters at Prague in 2018. A separate memorial also stands in the city of Litoměřice, where Rizal’s great friend and fellow academic Ferdinand Blumentritt resided. The friendship between the two men began when Rizal learned of Blumentritt’s study of Tagalog. What followed after was a decade-long correspondence that spanned discussions on academics, family, and everything in between. In fact, one of the last letters Rizal wrote before his execution was for Blumentritt, who he addressed as “dear Brother.”
BSP Governor Attends Unveiling of Rizal Bust in Czech Republic https://t.co/gLD44wYTs5 pic.twitter.com/vqCh19uUZn
— Bangko Sentral (@BangkoSentral) June 29, 2018
