History of Parallel Bars
Without any doubt, the parallel bars are an invention of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, who put up three trestles in his “Hasenheide” in Berlin, where the gymnasts were supposed to do some power exercises for gymnastics at horse. That means, the parallel bars were an apparatus to do supporting training exercises on; therefore there was only a small amount of special exercises at the beginning. The parallel bars could not be moved, since they were set in the ground. Soon, however, they became an independent and preferred apparatus. In 1819, the Spanish Amoros described the first transportable parallel bars, which the pharmacist Kluge from Berlin built. Modern gymnastics at parallel bars reminds of gymnastics at horizontal bar sometimes, due to large swings and big movements, but is also characterized by more or less conservative dismounts…


German

 

From Jahn’s training apparatus 
to an independent tournament apparatus

 

Without any doubt, the parallel bars are an invention of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, who put up three trestles in his “Hasenheide” in Berlin, where the gymnasts were supposed to do some power exercises for gymnastics at horse. That means, the parallel bars were an apparatus to do supporting training exercises on; therefore there was only a small amount of special exercises at the beginning, which were meant to prepare for gymnastics on horses.

Initially, the parallel bars were set in the ground. About 30cm under the ground they were fixed with a wooden plank, which was hard to rot and called “Erdriegel” (ground bolt). The parallel bars had hard poles, of which only a small part jut out over the posts.

Soon they became an independent and preferred apparatus, however. In 1819, the Spanish Amoros described the first transportable parallel bars, which were built by the Suisse Phokion Heinrich Clias (1782-1854).

 

In Germany it was the pharmacist Hermann Otto Kluge from Berlin who used tubes to make the parallel bars and the horizontal bar adjustable and who equipped an own gym with them in 1856.

In the mid 19th century, exercises with propping and pressing were common, dynamic gymnastics was rare.

When a general improvement in the performances came up in the second half of the 19th century, it caused criticism on many sides.

In Germany, this resulted in the so-called “Parallel-bars-dispute”. 
Fights similar to that one took place in e.g. Belgium and Denmark as well.
 
>>> Germany:
The Prussian Major Hugo Rothstein, lesson conductor of the Prussian royal gymnastics institute in Berlin, was mainly orientated on Swedish gymnastics and even removed Jahn’s apparatuses parallel and horizontal bars from his institute in 1860. In the official Prussian curriculum of 1862 these two apparatuses were missing as well. The three year long dispute was decided by the stepping in of the physiologist Emil Du Bois Reymond and Rudolf Virchow (and Euler, Angerstein) as representatives of German gymnastics. The apparatuses were reintroduced in 1863.		  

>>> In Denmark -  
- where gymnastics at school has the longest tradition (since1801)- the student of GuthsMuths Franz Nachtegall founded the civil gymnastics institute in Copenhagen in 1808 and by 1814 gymnastics was a compulsory subject including three lessons a week in all boys schools. In Denmark, a dispute similar to the “Parallel-bars-dispute” occurred when Rasmussen wanted to introduce the so-called “Ling model”, which corresponded rather to the anatomically orientated Swedish model, instead of the usual gymnastics model by GuthsMuths. In Denmark the dispute was supposed to be decided by a handbook of 1889, which was accomplished in 1899 only and which was supposed to “integrate the advantages of Danish and Swedish gymnastics” in it.

Stretched knees and tiptoes characterized gymnastics at parallel bars (Berlin school) and also more natural gymnastics of the “Leipzig school” was far from being full of drive, so that there were few ideas for the technical change of the apparatus. Power exercises were usual until the 20ies of the last century.

At the “First International festival of the International Gymnastics Federation” in Antwerp in 1903, no swinging element was requested but a handstand starting from a bended support and a tip over from hanging to support. The second compulsory exercise at parallel bars did not contain any swinging elements but a roll backward to a handstand.


Gymnastics on bars 1928		  
Dual meet Switzerland - Germany in Basel (Wagner / SUI)		  
Richard Reuther - some years later one of the most creative designing engineer. 

In 1909, Hermann Fechner from Dresden offered his iron apparatus as “best parallel bars of the world” in the yearbook of artistic gymnastics. A model from Chemnitz followed this, the “patent-split-second-parallel-bars, Blizzard”. “Fast adjustment. Clicks into place by itself from 5 to 5cm,”-the model was praised with these words. Firmness and easiness to handle were required, elastic features were not even talked about.


Alfred Flatow, 1896

Gymnastics at parallel bars were also prt of the Olympic Games in Athens 1896. 
The German Alfred Flatow is the first Olympic Champion on bars

At the Olympic Games in 1912 in Stockholm, “pleasant” parallel bars were used, however, the exercises still consisted halfway of power elements.

Little changes were made about the apparatuses in the 1920ies. A standardization of the apparatuses’ features could not be achieved, neither in the 1930ies. At every competition the gymnasts had to deal with different parallel bars- once with stiff poles, then with elastic ones, with heavy or light iron parts and elements done at one apparatus were simply impossible at another one.		  

It was only in the 1950ies, when norms were prescribed. In Helsinki in 1952, there were still a lot of broken poles (at the uneven bars as well); only in the mid 1950ies the German Richard Reuther presented “multipurpose parallel bars”. 
Not only the elastic of the poles had increased, but the whole construction had elastic features. “The apparatus reacts rhythmically on the amount of effect,” could be read in write-ups. The cross-section of the poles had changed into the form of drops. In the 1960ies the poles were glued already, the increased strain on the poles of the uneven bars led to fillings (from 1963 on: fibreglass), which should prevent breakings.


Romero Neri, L.A. 1932		  
Sergei Diomodov (URS)		  
Eizo Kenmotsu (JPN)
 

Bart Connor (USA)		  
 Sven Tippelt (GDR/GER): Element "Tippelt"

Bars' virtuosos of 
the 2oth century:
Romero Neri  
Olympic Champion 1932

Sergej Diomidow 
  World Champion 1966

Eizo Kenmotsu - 
World Champion1974, 1978

Bart Connor 
World Champion 1979, Olympic Champion 1984

Sven Tippelt
WCh Bronze 1987, 
Bronze OG Seoul 1988

J&F WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS APPARATUS, Ghent 2001:


J&F COMPETITION PARALLEL BARS 
F.I.G. approved;
         		 
It is incredible that the modern parallel bars of today do not lose their stability, in spite of giant circles and flying elements or the dynamic elements on the sides. 

It is perfectly natural that user-friendly features like adjustable parts for the sides and height as well as transport and erection are included in the service of the constructors. With regard to that, the world’s best gymnasts will enjoy first quality in Ghent.

 

<<<  The heavy cast supports on a steel base, offer a high degree of stability and rigidity and are provided with a patented 3-point locking mechanism to avoid accidental loosening of the columns.
With patented high-frequency glued plywood rails wich are reinforced with fibreglass insert for better strength and flexibility.

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Sources/Quellen: "Der Vorturner", 1927/28; "Das Turnjahrhundert der Deutschen", Götze/Herholz: Beckmanns Sportlexikon A-Z, Leipzig, Wien 1933; "Deutsche Turnzeitung", 1901; "Neue deutsche Turnzeitung", 1961, J. Leirich; "Geschichte der Turngeräte", J. Göhler/R. Spieth; "Mondsalto", gymbooks Verlag 1994, A. Götze/J. Uhr; "FlickFlack...", Sportverlag Berlin, A .Götze/H.-J. Zeume; "The History of British Gymnastics", 1988 by BAGA.

 

 

 

 

 

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