The German Contribution to American Physical Education: A Historical Perspective

A critical analysis of the Physical Education curriculum in the Czech Republic

“…The historical development of PE curriculum concepts is described in published texts for many countries and when closely examined can provide the necessary context for comparative studies. Brettschneider and Brandl-Bredenbeck (1997) together with many other authors (Cazers & Miller, 2000;Naul & Hardman, 2002;Kössel, Štumbauer, & Waic, 1998;Naul, 2003Naul, , 2011aSiedentop, 2006;etc. ) describe how, from the late 17 th century to the mid-18 th century, three systems (German, Swedish, and English) laid the foundations of PE and sport in many countries.…”

“…Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778-1852) was another important person in the history of German PE, who also infl uenced many gymnastic leaders in the Czech Republic (Rychtecký & Fialová, 2004) and the USA (Cazers & Miller, 2000). He was a member of a 19 th century gymnastic movement called the 'Turner' movement (Naul & Hardman, 2002;Naul, 2011b).…”

Body Image Drives New Environment for News Delivery

“…Historically, the earliest gymnasiums in ancient Greece were sites both of vigorous exercise and rigorous education as well as, specifically, 'social intercourse, small talk, relaxation, lounging, dissemination of news and views and serious conversation and discussion' (Forbes, 1945). Since the Middle Ages, while the word gymnasium in German-speaking countries has popularly referred to state-maintained secondary schools and examinations, it has also been explicitly identified as the link site for athletics, sports and education (Cazers and Miller, 2000) and in this sense has strongly influenced, albeit in the background, the rise of the American (and lately globalised) fitness club and gym. We argue that the new media and organisational features observed in fitness clubs of the 21st century re-establish and expand the original explicit link between exercise and public sphere activity and that this represents a commercial opportunity for managers.…”