Pehr Henrik Ling

Pehr Henrik Ling ( in older sources mostly Per Henrik Ling, in English sources also Peter Henry Ling; * November 15, 1776 in Södra Ljunga ( Blekinge län); † May 3, 1839 in Stockholm) was a Swedish poet and author, and founder of the Swedish gymnastics. He is next to Albert Hoffa and Johann Georg Mezger as the father of classical massage, which is therefore also called Swedish massage.

Life

Childhood and formative years

Ling was in the village Södra Ljunga in the County of Kronoberg County (historical province of Småland) born about 15 kilometers south of Ljungby. Four years after Lings birth, his father died, Lars Peter Ling, pastor of Södra Ljunga was. His mother, Hedvig Maria Molin, married the successor in office, however, died shortly after this wedding.

He was sent to the grammar school in the nearby Växjö. A year is not known, as if he has previously attended another school. 1792 Ling was expelled from the school when he refused after a rebellion of some students to name the leaders. The next demonstrable station Lings is the Uppsala University, where he studied theology in 1793. After four years, he was able to complete this study on December 21, 1797 with a diploma. He decided to take a longer trip through Europe in 1799 and left in Sweden to Denmark. His first stop was Copenhagen. After that, he lived in Germany, France and England. He acquired the languages ​​of the countries he visited and studied in Germany, the newly awakened know " German gymnastics". Some sources see in this encounter the foundation for his later work with the Swedish gymnastics. The next record of life -form report from 1801 in which he participated as an officer in the Navy at the Battle of Copenhagen.

Although Ling on his travels, always had work, he was penniless in these years frequently. He later told friends that he was proud to be able to any time limit his necessities of life to the utmost degree. However, leaving the years of travel and poverty, sometimes without food and sleep, and the service in the army physical traces: his general physical condition worsened, he showed symptoms of rheumatism and even had paralysis.

One goal, two paths

In 1804 built two French immigrants at the University of Copenhagen, a fencing school. Interested in this sport, Ling traveled to Denmark and became a pupil of the French. He noted that the regular fencing exercises improved his health and he was finally completely rehabilitated. Since he had a special talent for the sport, he was a year later fencing master at the University of Lund. There he taught fencing and modern languages ​​, which he had acquired during his travels. Besides his work as a lecturer Ling gave lectures on the Scandinavian mythology and dealt with the history of the Swedish people. He took courses in anatomy and physiology at the University to get the reasons for his recovery on track.

At least at this point in his life he decided to make the Swedes to honor descendants of the ancient Norsemen. He wanted to achieve with both gymnastics and poetry with this goal. Through his commitment as a poet and author of the Nordic mythology, he came into contact with like-minded people. At first they met for fun, this group later founded the Gothic Confederation ( Götiska Förbundet ) with the aim of Sweden play their pride and their nordländisches national feeling about poetry. Ling himself wrote some pieces, such as Asarne or Gylfe. The Swedish Academy (Svenska academies) appointed him in 1835 as the successor of the deceased Anders Fredrik Skjöldebrand ( 1757-1834 ). Ling got his seat ( number 18) and remained, as required by the statutes of the Academy until his death in 1839 a member.

Controversial renovator

In 1812 he asked the Swedish government to raise funds for the establishment of a gymnastic Institute in Stockholm. The answer was as scarce as direct: "We have the jugglers and acrobats enough without her account to harass the state treasury. " Ling focused on the development of fencing and his gymnastics. His reputation as a fencing teacher helped him to make known his athletics. Within a year, his standing in society had grown so strong that the funds for the Institute with a renewed request it have been approved. Although there were only small funds, but Ling could be 1813 Gymnastic Central Institute ( Gymnastiska Centralinstitutet ), short GCI, set up in Stockholm and became its head. Just a few months later, his athletics in many Swedish institutions, such as schools, and implemented in the army. 1818, the troops of the province of Skåne took over he developed a type of Bajonettfechtens. These successes in state institutions put him in a position to demand more money for the GCI and they also get approved.

However, Ling was not without controversy. The school physicians were skeptical about his work and wanted his gymnastics at most for the prevention or treatment of " aches and pains " recognize. Changed this attitude until his death nothing. Despite its controversial person him awards such as the Swedish title of professor, the title of Knight of the Order of the North Star, however, were given and he was elected member of the Swedish Medical Society ( Sveriges läkarförbund ). His disciples, however, showed him their appreciation especially in the form of a 1821 made ​​him a present silver coin: on one side a half-length portrait of Ling, on the other the inscription " The highly acclaimed Idrottmann by his friends and pupils ."

Ling spent the following years with the improvement of his exercises at GCI. 1836 his bayonet fencing was taken at the Swedish infantry. He wrote more poems and the only three books, which is about his teachings from his pen. The largest and most important work, Gymnastikens allmänna grunder, was not published until a year after his death by his pupil song Beck and Georgii. Ling died on 3 May 1839 in Stockholm after he was a few months ago suffering from a liver tuberculosis.

Teaching

" Blank mind's eye now turned into ever brighter radiance the image represents a human race, newborn in agility, strength, bodily and moral health and beauty; [ ... ] "

Lings mission was to strengthen the patriotic spirit and renew the heroism of the ancestors. According to his students preform great-grandfather was his greatest role model. This was over 100 years old, and begat 19 children. Ling wanted after he got back his physical strength through the fencing exercises, make this knowledge of the Scandinavian population advantage. Since his exercises were already adopted by the youth, he is next to FL Jahn, JCF GutsMuths and JH Pestalozzi as a reformer of the education of youth. Already a few years before Ling began his systematic development of gymnastics, Franz Nachtegall made ​​in Denmark with a gym name. Partially based compact theories on Nachtegalls physical exercises.

Life is made by compact theory of the chemical form of the dynamic basic form and the basic mechanical form. If one of these forms of diseases or ailments is haunted, must be started with the therapy for each job. In the mechanical basic form, the gym was his treatment of choice. The gym was in his eyes, but not primarily healing method, but rather was of prevention. For this purpose, Ling developed his system of gymnastics, which is based on four pillars, and if it would be carried out consistently, should the people bring strength and fitness. The four pillars represent different types of gymnastics, with their own exercises and own priorities in terms of exercise, duration, accuracy and much more. The Medical gymnastics to strengthen the weak body of the patient and raise the general welfare. Exactly conducted exercises to teach discipline and obedience in the Pedagogical Gymnastics youth. The military exercises serves as preparation for the army, should toughen the body and provide an upright posture. As the last column of the Aesthetic gymnastics had the task to make the movements of the body and bring so elegant beauty. In -form sparse records to see references to handles that are very similar to the massage. After his apprenticeship, however, this did not have the same meaning as they have in today's classical massage. But they served Albert Hoffa and John G. Mezger as the basis for today's 5 handles the massage.

In addition to the body Ling wanted to let the spirit of the Norsemen revived in modern Scandinavia. His poems and epics with themes from Norse tales and stories tell of heroes and their lives. Asarne, for example, an epic about the early days of the North. His literary works are today, except in the Scandinavian area, not very common.

Afterlife

After Ling 's death, his students, Professor Lars Gabriel Branting, took over the management of the GCI and continued his ideas. Gymnastics evolved in two different directions. One group of his students showed a moderate approach and understood the gym as part of or complement conventional medical treatment and prevention. The other group wanted to drive in many diseases, conventional medicine altogether and manifest the gym as a sole therapy.

In recognition of his service stands today in Stockholm near the former GCI, at the intersection Hamngatan Sveavägen, the statue of a little girl in practicing the Ling 's gymnastics. In Gothenburg there is a bust of Ling The rectory, where he spent his childhood, has been now converted into a museum. A special honor was bestowed Ling at the Summer Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912, where his bust was pictured on the back of medals.

Writings

Ling has published towards the end of his life, books about his teachings of gymnastics and fencing. All the previous works are poems and dramas based on Norse mythology that arose largely in or in cooperation with the Götiska Förbundet.

• Agne ( sorgspel ), Lund 1812
• Eylif the göthiske ( sorgspel ), Stockholm 1814
• Gylfe, Stockholm 1814
• Asarne ( sånger ), Stockholm 1816
• Riksdagen 1527 ( historisk Skadespel ), Stockholm 1817
• The Heliga Birgitta ( sorgspel ), Stockholm 1818
• Eddornas sinnebildslära promote olärde ( framställd ), Stockholm 1819
• Blot -Sven ( sorgspel ), Stockholm 1824
• Styrbjörn Strong ( historiskt skådespel 1), Stockholm 1824
• Ingiald Illråda och Ivar Widfamne ( historiskt skådespel 2), Stockholm 1824
• Regulations promote gymnastics, Stockholm 1836
• Regulations promote bayonet fäktning, Stockholm 1838
• Gymnastikens allmänna grunder, Uppsala 1840 ( completed by his students )