Since the end of the Ancient Olympic Games, the discus was only known from sculpture like the Discobolus and drawings.
The exact dimensions (shape), weight and the technique of throwing had not been recorded and handed down.
In 1880, Christian Georg Kohlrausch was appointed as gymnastics teacher at the Klosterschule "Pädagogium zum Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen" (grammar school "Our Ladies"), a former cloister school in Magdeburg.
He became known around the World through his studies and experiments with pupils to re-discover the discus and the technique of throwing it.
Due to his work the Discus throw was included in the very first Olympic Games of Modern Times in 1896.