17 Facts About Adolf Spiess

Adolf Spiess, born in Lauterbach, Hesse, was the oldest of their five children.

Adolf Spiess entered his father's school at the age of six or less.

Adolf Spiess assiduously practiced fencing, the favorite student exercise, and before the end of the year became proficient.

Adolf Spiess met Jahn during an excursion to the Harz Mountains.

In 1829, Adolf Spiess continued his theological studies at the University of Halle.

Adolf Spiess began to give instruction in gymnastics, first to a dozen boys on a garden Turnplatz, and later to nearly 150 in one of the city parks.

Around this time, on a visit to his family in Sprendlingen, one evening a friendly magistrate informed his father that if Adolf Spiess was found in the house on the following morning he would be subject to arrest.

Adolf Spiess therefore left at once, and reached Assenheim in safety.

Adolf Spiess found these colleagues ready to cooperate with him at every step, and all worked together in perfect harmony to give the broadest possible training to the children under their care.

Adolf Spiess took on similar tasks at various other schools in the neighborhood, among them a school for girls in Kirchberg.

Adolf Spiess found that the material and methods of Jahn's Deutsche Turnkunst were not sufficient for his needs.

Two years earlier, Adolf Spiess had married a former pupil, Marie Buri, and the need of finding a larger and more remunerative field of usefulness no doubt had much to do with the journey to Berlin; but the summons of Massmann to the Prussian capital in 1843 put an end to all hopes in that direction.

In May 1848 Adolf Spiess accepted an offer from Minister von Gagern of Hesse, and moved to Darmstadt, the capital of the Grand Duchy, to undertake the task of introducing gymnastics into the schools of that state, beginning with the higher schools and the common schools of such communities as were prepared to take the step at once.

Adolf Spiess was to train the requisite teaching force, and afterwards superintend their work.

Adolf Spiess visited many places in Hesse in the interest of physical training, and teachers from all parts of the state came to Darmstadt from time to time during the next few years to become familiar with his method.

In 1855, failing health compelled Adolf Spiess to interrupt his hitherto unceasing activity.

Adolf Spiess returned to Darmstadt, visiting the Turnhaus there for the last time in the fall of 1857, and died the following year.