“Gymnastics father Jahn”, almost everyone knows this name. But who was this man? In the struggle of the German states against Napoleon, the crazy student and assistant teacher had an idea: He combined sport and politics.
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778–1852) had radicalized himself during the years of French domination over the whole of Europe: He advocated intensively cultivating the “German nationality” and establishing a united nation after a final victory over Napoleon. In the Berlin “Hasenheide”, following his call, hundreds of young men have met since 1811 in order to regularly play sports and politicize. From their point of view, this was also a preparation for military combat. The Prussian government promoted the commitment of Jahn and other representatives from the university environment, because after the devastating defeat against Napoleon at Jena and Auerstedt in 1806, they looked for new approaches to the resistance – a mobilization of students and other possible freedom fighters came in handy .
However, after Napoleon’s reign ended with the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the European rulers tried to restore their tarnished power. Men like Jahn, who stubbornly demanded a constitution and parliamentary say, were increasingly perceived as troublemakers. They were now regarded as “demagogues”. After the playwright August von Kotzebue was stabbed to death by a whipped student in March 1819 – Kotzebue had made derogatory comments on the political liberalism and nationalism of the mostly young idealists – the authorities struck: The “demagogue persecution” began. Jahn was also arrested.
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