- Founded in 1811 following Germanys fall to Napoleon Bonaparte by Fredrich Ludwig Jahn
- Wanted to restore Germanys national pride through the physical and mental development through gymnastics
- Emphasized the use of parallel bars, rings, and the high bar. All still used used today
- Ludwig Jahn joined the Prussian army in 1806 and at one time commanded a battalion of men against Napoleon
- not just a sports organization but a political as well
- Brought it to U.S by Charles Beck, however was much more of a fad and not as taken as seriously as it was in Germany
- Militarized viewpoint, vey strict and very controlled physical fitness. Essentially Jahn wanted to make Germanys citizens strong so the nation itself would become strong.
- The Swedes version used no apparatus's was less rigid and used more calisthenics
- Adolf Spiel, a German himself invented the gymnastics rings, originally they were triangles instead of circles, they were first featured in the 1924 Paris Olympic games
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Systems
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Ludwig_Jahn#Contribution_to_sports
http://www.ihpra.org/gymnastics%20history.htm
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