Born in Germany in 1883, he was often ill as a child and wanted to overcome his weaknesses. He studied various movement practices such as yoga and boxing and became an exceptional athlete.
During the First World War, he was interned as a German prisoner of war in England. During this time, he taught his fellow prisoners various exercises and was later also used to rehabilitate patients. During this time, he developed and used bed springs and various hospital utensils to provide patients with optimal support for muscle work. This resulted in the well-known "Cadillac" device, which is regarded as the basis for the entire device system.
After the end of the war and his return to Germany, he was asked to teach in the military. He then emigrated to the USA. On his journey he met his future wife Clara, who was a nurse and teacher. Together with her, he opened the first Pilates studio in New York and taught mainly famous dancers such as Martha Graham until his death in 1967. The method was then continued and taught by a handful of students and has enjoyed an ever-growing following ever since and is no longer just an insider tip for Hollywood actors, dancers and professional athletes.
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