Who founded hostelling?
Hostelling was founded in 1909 by Richard Schirrmann, a German schoolteacher. Feeling the impact of the industrial revolution, Schirrmann grew worried about the effects to the health and welfare of his students. Schirrmann’s vision of a “wandering school”, which contained the early seeds of experiential learning, has grown into an international movement of over 4000 hostels worldwide. Americans Isabel and Monroe Smith discovered hostels while leading scout troops through Europe. The Smiths established American Youth Hostels in 1934 and launched its first organized hostels. The organization’s name has since been changed to Hostelling International USA (HI-USA) to express its international connection and inclusiveness of people of all ages.
