Ingeborg Appel

Ingeborg Appel was born in Askov, Denmark, on 26 June 1868. She was the daughter of Ludvig Schrøder, a folk high school principal and politician, and his wife Charlotte Wagner, the school's matron. She had 11 siblings, including the writer Frederik Schrøder. She attended Vallekilde Folk High School in 1885, where she learned Swedish gymnastics from Sally Högström. She was fascinated by the liberating effect of gymnastics, and decided to pursue it as a career. She studied at the Gymnastic Central Institute in Stockholm from 1887 to 1889, becoming the first Danish woman to complete the full course. She returned to Denmark and became a gymnastics teacher at Askov Folk High School, where she also taught health and nursing courses. She was one of the pioneers of popular gymnastics in Denmark, training female gymnastics leaders and spreading the subject to rural areas. She also helped to establish the first nursing education program in Denmark, which later became the Danish Nursing School. ¹² In 1891, she married Jacob Appel, the principal of Askov Folk High School and a prominent politician. They had a close and equal partnership, sharing the responsibility of running the school and raising their five children. She also supported her husband's political career, which involved him serving as a minister in several governments. She took over the leadership of the school during his absences, proving to be an efficient administrator and an inspiring speaker. She was also active in various humanitarian and educational organizations, such as the Red Cross, the Danish Women's Society, and the International Council of Nurses. She retired from teaching in 1938, but remained involved in the school's affairs until her death. She was awarded the Ling Medal in 1934 and the Lingiade Medal in 1939 for her contributions to gymnastics. She died in Askov on 5 November 1948, and was buried there. ¹²