HISTORY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN DENMARK. 669 
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N. H. Rasmussen, civil engineer, in 1883, was the first advocate of the 
aew system. He completed a full course at the Swedish Central Gymna- 
sium, and in 1887 opened an institute for Swedish gymnastics in Copen- 
hagen that during the last years has been attended by four hundred and 
thirty-six gentlemen and a number of ladies. Other private gymnasiums 
have also been established in the course of the lust few years, many of them 
exclusively for women. Of these gymnasiums, some have adopted the 
Swedish system ; others, as Mr. Paul Petersen’s, have tried to combine 
the exercises of the Swedish system with that of the Danish. 
Many, however, saw that a reform was needed. It was recognized that 
a fault had been committed in not following the healthy track Nachtegall 
had entered, and that a more pedagogical and physiological stamp ought 
to be given to gymnastics. After a lively discussion, that lasted a couple 
of years, the Department of Public Instruction appointed a committee, 
consisting of the inspector, Colonel Amsinck ; a physician, Dr. Hertel ; 
and of Professor Kromann, a leading educational authority, to devise a 
plan for the improvement of the instruction in gymnastics. After having 
visited Stockholm and Berlin, the committee gave as its opinion that the 
faults in the Danish way of teaching had their origin, first, in the defect- 
.ve training of the teachers; second, in the imperfect apparatus of the 
schools ; and third, in the exercises not being chosen judiciously with due 
regard to physiological and pedagogical demands. The committee there- 
fore proposed, first, that gymnastics in all the boys’ and girls’ schools in 
Denmark should take rank with any one of the most important regular 
oranches ; second, that it should be taught during a greater number of 
hours ; third, that suitable halls and apparatus should be provided ; 
fourth, that a well-arranged physiological and pedagogical system of exer- 
cises must be procured, suited to the different sexes and ages ; fifth, that 
a staff of lady and gentleman teachers should be trained whose physi- 
ological and pedagogical knowledge should enable them to use advan- 
tageously the new system of exercises; and finally that a gymnasium for 
che training of lady and gentleman teachers should be established under 
she Department of Pnblic Instruction. 
This department has now appointed a committee to prepare a new sys- 
bem of exercises according to the principles indicated, and, furthermore, 
has taken steps to secure a piece of land near Copenhagen for the intended 
gymnasium for teachers. The committee above mentioned is expected 
presently to finish its work by publishing a new text-book on gymnastics.