GUTS-MUTHS, JOHANN CHRISTOPH FRIE DRICH (1759-1839), German teacher and the principal founder of the German school system of gymnastics, was born at Qued linburg on Aug. 9, and died on May 31, 1839. It was chiefly through his books on the subject that gymnastics came to occupy such an important position in the school system of Germany.
His principal works are Gymnastik fur die Jugend (1793) ; Spiele zur and Erholung des Korpers and Geistes fur die Jugend (1796) ; Turnbuch (1817) ; Handbuch der Geographie (181o) ; and a number of books constituting a Bibliothek fur Piidagogik, Schulwesen, and die gesammte padagogische Literatur Deutschlands.