ACTA SZEKSZARDIENSIUM - Pécsi Tudományegyetem Illyés Gyula ...

Anikó Christián
according to Miklós Hodászy. 25
As for Europe, there were steps forward in Germany between the two world wars.
There the aim was to compensate the system of the German gymnastics on the apparatus
(which was too stretched) with loosing the muscles.
The specialist developed different systems of gymnastics, therapeutic exercise and dance
from which the most known is the Bode’s gymnastics system and Doctor Bess Mensendieck’s
school. Under the influence of her thoughts and work, motion was seen as a curing method in
Germany. She dealt mainly with the problems of the exercises for women.
It was new that her attention didn’t focus only on the bony structure and the spine but
also on the interaction of breathing and muscle work. First, Mensendieck called attention
to the necessity of relaxing muscles. 26 He wanted to model the human body as a sculpture.
He called attention to the work of every single muscle group with teaching the deliberate
stretching and relaxing. Madzsar Józsefné Jászi Alice, who raised very learned and well
experienced physiotherapists, introduced the Mensendieck’s system in Hungary. In 1912
she opened her „Functional Gymnastic Teacher-Training College. Her gymnastic system
consisted of body forming and artistic parts. 27
In the middle of 1930s, the notions of therapeutic exercise and therapeutic gymnastics
are used in Hungary. This is proved by many literatures.
On the 6th picture Miklós Hodászy’s manuscript of „The leading book and the methodology
of teaching of therapeutic exercise for schools and for private use” can be seen.
Margit Kardhordó, Mária Las Torres and their colleagues wrote the manuscript of
„Material of the therapeutic exercise courses at boy and girl elementary schools, civil girl
and girl secondary school of Buapest” /see 7th picture/
Miklós Hodászy’s manuscript of „The methodology of the corrective and therapeutic
exercise at school can be seen on picture 8.
„Theoretical and practical guidelines for teaching of therapeutic gymnastics” by Margit
Kardhordó and Miklós Hodászy in 1935 can be seen on picture 9. Dr. Boldizsár Horváth
added the medical preface to it.
This book was recorded as the literature of training. The authors wrote the following words
in the preface: “We recommend this work for doctors, special teachers, trainers in order to give
guideline for strengthening the weak children and adolescents, for correction of weak posture
and for preventing further worsening of scoliosis.”
In the history of the adopted physical education, it is an important milestone that the
education of specialists was introduced at college level. Count Kunó Klebelsberg, the minister
of religion and education a p.oved the organizational statues of the Hungarian Royal University
of Physical Education by the decree of 77000/XIII and so could open the gates of the university
in 1925. The minister dealt in his many articles and speeches with the pedagogic and hygienic
effects of the physical education and sport. He wrote the following: “The narrow breasted,
bespectacled child, who bends over his book all day long and in whose undeveloped chest and
in unhealthy flat the screech-owl of tuberculosis builds nest, is not my ideal. I do not believe
that sport would ever harm the English culture. There is no contrast between culture and sport,
the belief of contrast exists only in the sculls which are covered by iron hat.” 28
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