364 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF EDUCATION. 
for women was instituted, and now this course is very much appreciated, 
as is shown by the great number of females that apply for admittance to 
it. It is required that women who wish to attend the institute shall 
have the same standard in their studies as those who enter the normal 
school for the higher education of teachers. The institute has about 
jwenty-five female students and fifty male students. The reason for 
admitting a larger number of men is that the army and navy are also 
supplied with teachers of gymnastics by the institute. There are now 
thirteen teachers, of whom two are lady teachers. 
Ling’s idea, to have one system all over the country, is thoroughly 
carried out ; and all authorities that have had occasion to give an opinion 
npon the exercises have without exception affirmed their good influence. 
We have also had the pleasure of seeing a great number of foreigners 
at the institute. They study there for a longer or shorter time, and carry 
the idea of our gymnastics with them. We have also witnessed how 
institutes, with the same plan, have been established in other countries. 
[ can but use this occasion to express my great satisfaction of what I 
have seen in America in this regard ; and I confidently hope for a lively 
and strong codperation in the future between the institutes on this side 
the Atlantic and those in the Old World. 
HISTORY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN DENMARK. 
BY JOAKIM LARSEN, SUPERINTENDENT OF THE FREDRICKBERG 
SCHOOLS. COPENHAGEN. 
THE history of gymnastics in Denmark begins with the philanthropic 
movement in the educational world. Before that time some of the better 
schools had indeed their fencing- and dancing-masters and calisthenic 
exercises, and games were used, but any special instruction in gymnastics 
was not given until introduced by Franz Nachtegall, who was born in 
Copenhagen, 1777, graduated at the University of Copenhagen in 1794, 
and had commenced to study theology when the death of his father obliged 
him to become a teacher in order to support his mother. From his earliest 
childhood he had been fond of all sorts of bodily exercises; later he had 
learned gymnastics and fencing, and now he accepted a situation as teacher 
of gymnastics at the educational institute established by the Rev. Chris- 
tiani, chaplain to the king, and soon after he also became teacher of gym- 
nastics at another private school. The manual published by Gutsmuths, 
teacher at the philanthropic institute at Dessau, was used by him as a 
text-book. 
In the beginning of 1799 he founded in Copenhagen a gymnastic society, 
whose members were students or young commercial men, and whose object