Konrad Koch
| Konrad Koch | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Wilhelm Carl Johann Conrad Koch 13 February 1846 Braunschweig, Duchy of Brunswick |
| Died | 13 April 1911 (aged 65) Braunschweig, German Empire |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Teacher |
Wilhelm Carl Johann Conrad Koch, commonly known as Konrad Koch (13 February 1846 – 13 April 1911) was a German teacher and football pioneer.
Koch was born on 13 February 1846 in Braunschweig, Duchy of Brunswick. After finishing secondary school in Braunschweig, he studied theology and philology at the universities of Göttingen, Berlin, and Leipzig.
He returned to Braunschweig in 1868 to become a teacher for Ancient Greek, Latin, history, and geography at the prestigious secondary school.
Koch was a pioneer in introducing ball games as part of physical education in German schools. He was influenced by the ideas of Thomas Arnold respectively Thomas Hughes' novel Tom Brown's School Days. In 1874 Koch and his colleague August Hermann organized what is believed to be the first-ever football match in Germany, between pupils from their school Martino-Katharineum. However, according to other sources, earlier games of football might have taken place in other German cities, possibly between members of the Dresden English Football Club.
In 1875, Koch published the first German version of the rules of football, although Koch's version of the game still closely resembled rugby football. The new game was quickly adopted by other schools in Braunschweig and spread to other cities during the late 1870s, including Hanover, Bremen, Hamburg, and Göttingen.
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