Hans Ferdinand Massmann

He served in the War of Liberation, was a member of the Jena Burschenschaft, and was present at the Wartburg festival of 1817, where he participated in the book burning.

Later his duties were extended to a public outdoor exercise facility (German: Turnanstalt) which was to serve all the schools in the city.

In 1841, he went to Berlin to confer with Minister Eichhorn regarding the revival of physical training in Prussia.

Eichhorn later spoke with Adolf Spiess, a citizen of Hesse who had been directing such programs in Burgdorf, Switzerland.

Massmann's writings include editions of Deutsche Gedichte des 12 Jahrhunderts (1837–42); Gottfried's Tristan and Iseult (1843); Kaiserchronik (1849–53); of the biblical translations of the Gothic bishop Ulfilas (1855–56) and of Tacitus's Germania (1847).