Portrait
of Ferdinand Blumentritt by Juan Luna Prague, Czech
Republic - June 26, 2009 - Documents of Rizal and Blumentritt including five paintings
of Juan Luna could fetch an estimated value of US$8 million, according to Stephan
Klococka. They were found hidden in Cesky Budejovice Museum, 98 kilometers north
of Prague, Czech Republic. Four boxes were discovered believed to shed
historical facts that are extremely important in Philippine history during the
colonial Spanish era that span for over 320 years. These documents were never
published. They were protected in vaults and had survived two world wars, 41-year
Communist regime and 21years under the Soviet Union. The existence of the
discovery was mentioned to the Czech Ambassador to the Philippines in the summer
of 2008 and was immediately suggested to Noubikko to visit the museum.
The
discovery was first mentioned at the Knights of Rizal Council meeting in Bonn,
Germany in November of 2008. Lucien Spattel, a retired NATO officer and Rizal-research
specialist who was in Ceske Budejovice in 2007, confirmed their existence. He
said that he knew then that there were more to found. In June 17 of 2009,
two American experts, Dr. Samuel Bernal, PhD. MD and Richard Branders, Security
Adviser for Czech Republic and Poland were joined by Noubikko to reevaluate the
findings. This time, they were showed pages upon pages of personal letters of
Rizal, archives of unpublished manuscripts, portraits and paintings all of which
are extremely important documents about the Rizal-Blumentritt relationship and
the Philippines.
| Helena
Steyskalova, curator of the museum said the collection is enough to build another
museum. Dr. Bernal said the collection is amazing. And, Branders said this could,
definitely, puzzle the attention of international Rizal experts. In
June 23, 2009, an emergency meeting was called by Stephan Klococka, Deputy Commander
for the Knights in Prague and planned the presentation of the discovery to the
media and to all scholars to insure truthfulness of historical facts. It
is not yet known as to what is the extent of the findings. Personal letters and
manuscripts are one-of-a-kind which were kept for over a century, most likely,
they have never been read by any historian, Noubikko said. He also said that he
is certain this is one of the most important historical discoveries in modern
times.
FDN Media Network |
