Turners are members of German-American gymnastic clubs called Turnverein. They promoted German culture, physical culture, liberal politics, and supported the Unionwar effort during the American Civil War. Turners, especially Francis Lieber, 1798–1872, were the leading sponsors of gymnastics as an American sport and the field of academic study. In Germany a major gymnastic movement was started by TurnvaterFriedrich Ludwig Jahn in the early 19th century when Germany was occupied by Napoleon. The Turnvereine were not only athletic, but also political, reflecting their origin in similar "nationalistic gymnastic" organizations in Europe. The Turner movement in Germany was generally liberal in nature, and many Turners took part in the Revolution of 1848. After its defeat, the movement was suppressed and many Turners left Germany, some emigrating to the United States, especially to the Ohio Valley region. Several of these Forty-Eighters went on to become Union soldiers, and some became Republican politicians. Besides serving as physical education, social, political and cultural organizations for German immigrants, Turners were also active in public education and the labor movements. They were leading promoters of gymnastics in the United States as a sport, and as a school subject. In the United States, the movement declined after 1900, and especially after 1917.
History in the United States
The Turnvereine made a contribution to the integration of German-Americans into their new home. The organizations continue to exist in areas of heavy German immigration, such as Iowa, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Missouri, Syracuse, NY, Kentucky, New York City, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. About 1000 Turners served as Union soldiers during the Civil War. Anti-slavery was a common element, as typified by Carl Schurz. Many Republican leaders in German communities were members. However most German-Americans probably were Democrats in the 19th century. They provided the bodyguard at Abraham Lincoln's inauguration on March 4, 1861 and at his funeral in April 1865. In the Camp Jackson Affair, a large force of German volunteers helped prevent Confederate forces from seizing the government arsenal in St. Louis just prior to the beginning of the war. After the Civil War the national organization took a new name, Nordamerikanischer Turnerbund, and supported German-language teaching in the public high schools, as well as gymnastics. Women's auxiliaries were formed in the 1850s and 1860s. The high point in membership came in 1894, with 317 societies and about 40,000 adult male members, along with 25,000 children and 3000 women. Like other German-American groups, the Turners experienced suspicion during World War I even though they now had very little contact with Germany. German-language instruction ended at many schools and universities, and the federal government imposed restrictions on German-language publications. The younger generation generally demanded the switch to exclusive use of English society affairs, which allowed many Turner societies to continue to function. Cultural assimilation and both World Wars with Germany took a gradual toll on membership, with some halls closing and others becoming regular dance halls, bars, or bowling alleys. As of 2011, 54 Turner societies still existed around the US. The current headquarters of the American Turners is in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1948, the US Post Office issued a 3-cent commemorative stamp to mark the 100th anniversary of the movement in the country. The Turnverein in Sacramento, founded in 1854, claims to be the oldest still in existence in the United States. The Turnverein Vorwaerts of Fort Wayne, Indiana, owned the Hugh McCulloch House from 1906 until 1966. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Gallery
Vintage photos of the Milwaukee ''Turnverein''
Other Wisconsin Turners in 1915
Jahn Monument in Berlin with memorial plaques from American ''Turnvereine''
