Johann Christoph Friedrich GutsMuths

Johann Christoph Friedrich GutsMuths.
GutsMuths statue in Quedlinburg.
House of birth.

Johann Christoph Friedrich GutsMuths, also called Guts Muth or Gutsmuths (9 August 1759, Quedlinburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany to 21 May 1839, Waltershausen, Thuringia, Germany) was a teacher and educator in Germany, and is especially known for his role in the development of physical education. He is thought of as the "grandfather of gymnastics" – the "father" being Turnvater Jahn. GutsMuths introduced systematic physical exercise into the school curriculum, and he developed the basic principles of artistic gymnastics.[1]

In 1793, GutsMuths published Gymnastik für die Jugend, the first systematic coursebook on gymnastics. In 1800, his work on physical education was translated into English and published in England as Gymnastics for youth: or A practical guide to healthful and amusing exercises for the use of schools, where it became a standard reference.

Notes

  1. ↑ Goodbody, John (1982). The Illustrated History of Gymnastics. London: Stanley Paul & Co. ISBN 0-09-143350-9.