The History of American Turners
The Turner movement originated in what is now Germany in 1811 when Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (Father Jahn, or Turnvater Jahn, to Turners), a German Nationalist, opened a Turnplatz in Berlin. Here Jahn taught his physical education system: running, jumping, throwing the javelin, and other “track and field” style activities during good weather; and the exercises on apparatus we now associate with gymnastics, in the winter. But, while Jahn’s physical education became very popular with the people, his outspoken political views brought him to the attention of the authorities, and he spent some years in prison.
While Jahn was in prison three of his followers, Carl Beck, Carl Follen and Francis Lieber fled to this country where they became outstanding professors and educators at Harvard and other eastern colleges. They were instrumental in introducing Jahn’s system of physical training in the United States.
In the years 1848 and 1849, the extreme political turmoil in Germany pushed many more Germans to migrate to the US (known as the "48ers"), and the first (and still flourishing) American Turner Society, the Cincinnati Turngemeinde was established in 1848, followed quickly by the New York Turngemeide and then the Philadelphia Turngemeide the following year. Soon these Societies spawned new Societies in these cities, and additional Turnvereins sprang up in Baltimore and Louisville. In 1850 the National Turner Organization was established, and in 1851 the first Turnfest, and Convention were held in Philadelphia. Records tell us that there were 22 Turnvereine, 11 belonging to the National Turner Organization, by the end of 1851. At the time of the 1854 Convention, 62 Turnvereine existed in the country. As German immigration to America gathered steam, the movement took on a cultural significance for the entire German community, providing a place for the whole family to gather, to discuss the days events or politics in their native tongue, to share good food, drink and song, and to enjoy a feeling of good fellowship. Most Turner business was conducted in German until the middle of the Twentieth Century.
But, there was conflict within the Turner movement as many of the Societies had largely political agendas, while others wanted only to concentrate on physical education. And there was resistance to German immigrants in general, and the Turner movement in particular from the “Know Nothing Party” and other elements of society. The times in America were very turbulent as the nation slid inevitably towards Civil War.
Most Turners were against slavery, which hurt the movements popularity throughout the south, even as it thrived across the north. The National Organization adopted an anti slavery stance and in 1860 Turners supported the election of Abraham Lincoln, putting them in path of violence when he won. After the fall of Fort Sumpter in South Carolina, the State of Maryland threatened to secede, and, in Baltimore, all the buildings flew the State flag rather than the Union Jack, with the exception of the Halle of the Baltimore Turngemeide,. A riot followed, the Halle was razed to the ground, and many Turners were forced to flee the city.
Most German Americans supported the Union during the war, lead by the Turners. Of an estimated 10 to 20 thousand Turners at the start of the war, it is thought 75% served the Union cause. Larger Turnvereins raised entire companies, and a few of the largest cities turned out complete regiments of Turner troops. The St. Louis Turners were instrumental in keeping Missouri in the Union, and Washington, DC Turners assembled a special troop to help guard President Lincoln during the inauguration. Individually and in their own special units, Turners served with distinction through the war.
After the War, with new immigrants arriving daily, Turnerism flourished across the country. New Halle’s were constructed as Turnvereins outgrew old quarters and new Turnvereins were established. As the Nineteenth Century gave way to the Twentieth Century, the population continued to swell with more immigrants, not only from the provinces of Germany, but Swiss, Austrians, and other Germanic peoples who found the Turnverein a friendly place where they could converse in German, and familiar customs were in vogue. But as each new wave of immigration matured, the young people were less dependent on the cultural familiarity of the Turnverein, and new and different groups learned to appreciate the value of the physical education and gemuetlichkeit.
Turners were on the whole politically active and progressive. As early as 1871 Turners advocated women’s suffrage and then for the inclusion of physical education in our public schools in 1880. Turners established a national Normal College to teach the art of gymnastics and physical education to new generations of instructors – this school eventually becoming a part of the University of Indiana
The movement reached our area with the establishment of the Chicago Turnverein in 1852. The movement continued to grow and in 1884, the Turner movement in Chicago was instrumental in establishing gym classes in the city’s public school system, and, later, to add gym equipment for the use of children in Chicago's parks. Many of the Chicago Turnvereins were politically active in the Labor Movement, Socialism, Womans Suffrage, and against Temperance.
Over the years, Turners have changed as our nation has matured. Between the World Wars, in particular, their German ethnicity caused disputes with elements of the public. Today the German influence, though still evident, is greatly muted, and membership boasts a diverse ethnic background. But our emphasis on a sound mind in a sound body, on the physical education of our young people, and on gemuetlichkeit and that feeling of comfort within the group, remain undiminished.
At one time,
according to available authorative information, Chicago boasted of 34 Turner
Halles through the city. Today, we understand only four of
these buildings remain standing, Lincoln Turner Halle at 1015 W
Diversey Parkway, Aurora Turnverein (not to be confused with the still
very active Aurora Turners in the City of Aurora, IL) at 527 N.
Milwaukee Avenue, the Vorwaerts Turnverein at 2431 W. Roosevelt Road,
and the old Eiche Turner Halle in West Pullman. Unfortunately, even
these few remaining Halles are no longer used for Turner activities, all
the Chicago Societies having disbanded, or joined with other displaced
Societies and moved to the Chicago suburbs, to join the two Turnvereins
already operating there, the afore mentioned Aurora Turners, and the
Elgin Turners.
3. A planned recreational and social program for all members of the family group ; and 4. Participation in all worthy civic projects, both Local and National.
History of Eiche Turners
Eventually, however, most of our supporters moved from the Roseland region, this time into the outlying suburbs, and the old Halle fell into disuse. In 1973 the old Turner Building in West Pullman was sold and Eiche Turners invested the proceeds in property in Tinley Park, Illinois. For the next ten years, Eiche rented space at Tolentine Center in Flossmoor, an underused Catholic Seminary, where gym classes were held under the tutelage of Rolf Helmke and the Turnverein held various functions until 1983.
AMERICAN TURNERS REVISED PRINCIPLES-1974
The American Turners, a federation of Turner Societies in the United States and Canada, is organized to promote health and physical education, cultural education, and rational thinking, in order to advance the health, happiness, and progress of mankind.
It is the principal duty of our Society to provide schools in health and physical education for youth and adults and to promote their intellectual and cultural growth and moral character through special classes under qualified and competent instructors.
The American Turners, having, since 1848, endured untold hardships and paid the supreme sacrifice to preserve the Union of these united States as a democracy in a republic, established upon the principles of freedom and equality and dedicated to justice and humanity, it is the purpose of the American Turners to preserve and perfect this democracy.
We recognize the family group upon which the greatness of our country has been built and the harmonious education of the body and mind as the most important factors to preserve and perfect this democracy.
The American Turners endeavor to accomplish their purposes and promote their ideals through:
1. A planned program of health and physical education for the development of a sound body;
2. A planned program of cultural education for the development of a sound mind;
The American Turners is not a political or sectarian body obligating its members to any definite demands except United States or Canadian citizenship, but urges its members to exercise the right of independent thought and action through the ballot and to follow the dictates of their conscience in religious matters.
The American Turners strive to attain the preceding objectives as incorporated in these their principles, by staunch adherence to its motto 'A Sound Mind in A Sound Body'.
The city of Chicago grew quickly through the nineteenth century, soon becoming the rail and transportation center for a large section of the country. In 1880, the Pullman Palace Car Company opened shop in the south part of the city, near the area which came to be known as Roseland. This opportunity soon drew many new immigrants to work and the German population grew quickly. In 1884 a group gathered and began the Pullman Maennerchor, a choral group who sang the songs in German they had grown up with.
Then in the following year enterprising Turners formed the Turnverein Eintract to hold meetings at Pinger Hall at 111th near Michigan Avenue. And a third group formed the Pullman-Kensington Turngemeinde, meeting at Tuch's Hall on Front Street in 1887. In 1888, the Turnverein Eintract built their own Halle at 200 Kensington Avenue and talks began with the other two organizations about combining forces. On October 16, 1890, 280 Turners, members of the Pullman Maennerchor, Turnverein Eintract, and the Pullman-Kensington Turngemeinde formed Turnverein Eiche, electing Henry van Meeteren as our first President.
In 1902 Eiche was able to entice Alfred Wild to become the Instructor, a position he held until the mid 30's. Prior to World War I, Wild began leading youngsters on camping trips out into the country northwest of the city. In a few years, this lead to the establishment of a camp. enjoyed by members of all the Turnvereins in the Chicago area, along the Fox River. In 1919 the camp was relocated to its current position east of the river, where it remains a vibrant part of the Chicago area Turner movement. The letters FFST, meaning Frisch (fresh), Frie (free), Stark (strong), and Treu (true) imbibing the Turner spirit, still mark the entrance to the dining hall.
The first Turner Halle in Roseland, met the needs of several generations of Eiche’s but in 1930, when road construction forced them to move their building to 115th Street and Indiana Avenue they took advantage of the situation to modernize the structure and add the gym facility. Here they continued to provide instruction to the children and young adults of the nearby areas, and gemuetlichkeit for their parents. Many of our current members trace their roots back to that Halle, where they learned under the strict eye of Gym instructor Rudolph Komm.
In 1983, a lot of scrimping, saving, and hard work paid off, and our present Halle in Tinley Park was opened for use. Eiche President Rudy Dian dedicated the club room to the memory of Reinhardt Jahn, a recently passed long time member and benefactor.
Soon we added the gym facility in Mokena, once again becoming a complete Turnverein. Today, Eiche is integrated into the local community, are members of the Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce, and supporters of the Police Department, Fire Department, Red Cross, Historical Society and the Food Pantry. In addition to our many Turner activities, meetings and functions, the Halle has been made available to other local groups as a meeting place and is used on a regular basis for different activities, including dance lessons. Eiche continues to search for new uses of our facilities, and new ways to serve our community.
Revised 11 May 2009, RW
