This morning I was looking at an interesting piece of early Chicago ephemera. A general information booklet for The Chicago Turn-Gemeinde School for Physical Training, North Side Turner Hall, 820 North Clark Street, Chicago. A Turner Hall was a gymnasium, theater and social club for German immigrants. Their belief was that a strong mind and body will provide everything a man needed to survive in his new home, the United States.
Besides physical training, the building of the mind took on an extremely politicized ideal that was very pro-union and anti-business. Much of Chicago's progressive movement grew out of these Socialist clubs. As I understand it, today, the few remaining Turners are strictly sports oriented particularly in youth activities in the historic German neighborhoods. Soccer, basketball, volleyball, ice hockey and baseball have replaced calisthenics, gymnastics, fencing, medicine balls and Indian Clubs. I particularly like the advertisement for a sporting goods store inside the back cover. The proprietor is holding a fencing epee.
Besides physical training, the building of the mind took on an extremely politicized ideal that was very pro-union and anti-business. Much of Chicago's progressive movement grew out of these Socialist clubs. As I understand it, today, the few remaining Turners are strictly sports oriented particularly in youth activities in the historic German neighborhoods. Soccer, basketball, volleyball, ice hockey and baseball have replaced calisthenics, gymnastics, fencing, medicine balls and Indian Clubs. I particularly like the advertisement for a sporting goods store inside the back cover. The proprietor is holding a fencing epee.
This piece is available for purchase here
It is rather lengthy but here is the actual speech that was delivered upon the opening the very Turner Hall advertised in this booklet. It opened on Clark Street in 1882.
Our Turner Hall Official Dedication....
The disagreeable weather which still prevailed yesterday had
little influence on the crowd. The people intended to be present at the
opening ceremony held in the renovated hall.....The stage curtain shows
an interesting landscape, probably an Italian scene. A ruin, the remnant
of a romantic period, is in the foreground; the large weatherbeaten
stone slabs of the courtyard, with grass growing from the crevices, and
the partly standing moss-covered pillars are very impressive.....The
ruin is on the shore of a small blue lake. On the opposite side one sees
another ruin. The coloring in the foreground is confined to delicate
tints, while on the horizon arise dark clouds, indicating an approaching
storm; altogether an effective, pleasing contrast. Sullivan Brothers
painted the curtain and made all the decorations in the building--a
great credit to the firm.....
The orchestra played an introduction, after which Max Stern addressed the assembly. His speech was very effective, and the audience greeted him with much acclaim.
Stern's Speech
"My Friends: The committee on arrangements may indeed be pardoned
for announcing a speech on an occasion of this kind. After all, this
evening not only represents the opening of our season but also means the
beginning of a new decade in the history of our organization. We should
have been justified in calling this our thirtieth anniversary.
"Under such conditions it is of course permissible and customary to speak of the past. However, I shall not tax your patience; I shall confine myself to the main events affecting our institution.
"The history of our Turner movement began in the year 1852. At that time a number of Chicago's Germans realized the necessity of forming a German association for the purpose of furthering Germanism, that is, to awaken an understanding of our views and of our mode of life and to obtain greater recognition for the German-American element, and this, naturally, could only be attained by co-operation. A meeting was held at the Rio Grande Hotel on La Salle Street, and that marked the beginning of the Turnverein of Chicago. [Translator's note: Turnverein means Gymnastic club. The movement which originated in Germany when Friedrich L. Jahn, a German patriot, 1778-1852, advocated the Greek principle, "a sane mind in a sound body," and founded the Turner movement.....The halls were supplied with apparatus for physical exercise, and to take care of the mental phase, lectures on scientific subjects, music, drama, etc., were featured. In places outside Germany the Turnhalle became a general gathering place for Germans.] On October 3, 1853, Carl Senne, chairman of the organization, gave the opening address. It may interest you to know how the Turnverein of Chicago became our present Turngemeinde [community or alliance].
"Soon after the first Verein [club] was founded, it became apparent that the West Side needed a separate club because of lack of transportation facilities, and so the Vorwaerts [Forward] Turnverein was organized. This second club moved into its own quarters in 1857, but the building unfortunately burned down a year later, and therefore the club affiliated itself with the Chicago Turnverein; the organization was then called the Chicago Turngemeinde. In 1860 the alliance moved to the old hall on Kinzie Street, and shortly after, as a fitting beginning to the second decade of the association's existence, its members formed the well-known Company G and went to Cairo to fight for the Union, the Turngemeinde providing their equipment. Those who did not join at the time found the patriotism of the first company irresistible and also wanted to be in the ranks. [These later recruits] and Company G were then transferred to the Twenty-fourth (Hecker's) and Eighty-second Regiments. About thirty Turners died on the field of battle. A marble tablet with the names of these men now adorns our library, a gentle reminder to all who come here not to forget their country and to do their duty as citizens. Finally, in 1863, the Gemeinde bought this plot of ground and built an attractive hall.
"Among the many meetings which were of importance to the Germans
we must mention in particular that which was called at the outset of the
Franco-Prussian War in 1870. At that time the hall was far too small
for the crowd which came to voice its sympathy for the German cause. It
was the last large meeting in [the old] Turner Hall.
"October 9, 1871, marked the destruction of the building, and like most of the inhabitants of the North Side the Turngemeinde found nothing to salvage. Of its 299 members only 48 did not lose their property in the fire.
"But this great calamity did not cause our association to remain indifferent to the urging of various members as well as of other residents of the North Side, to erect its present building, this hall. You have read in the last two years how a Turner of New York, Gustav Freygang, lent us $20,000 to complete the great work. The day of the opening of the building, February 1, 1873, coincided with the beginning of the general business depression, and this six-year period of hard times affected the Geimeinde seriously, more so even than the fire.
"About two years ago Chicago's leading German businessmen came to the rescue and published an open letter in the Illinois Staats-Zeitung suggesting that the Turngemeinde issue non-interest-bearing bonds to pay the second mortgage. You know the result. It is a source of great satisfaction to me--and I am sure that you share my sentiments--to tell you that this mortgage is paid, and that therefore the future of the Turner Hall is secure. And, although I did not mention the names of the various well-known gentlemen who proved such benefactors and enabled us to beautify the hall, let it be remembered that the omission was made only out of consideration for those who pledged their help but have as yet not contributed. However, I take this opportunity to give hearty thanks on behalf of the Turngemeinde, to the committee of citizens, headed by Alderman Schoeninger, J. E. Christoph, and Albert Boese, and all who heeded the appeal and contributed so liberally, and I also wish to express our gratitude to the press, particularly the German papers, which gave us such unanimous support. I can assure you that our members will do all within their power to show their appreciation.
"There are people who believe that the need for the Turner movement has passed, that it has outlived its usefulness, to use a common phrase. But such people are forgetful of facts; they hide from reality like the ostrich which buries its head in sand at the approach of danger.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as long as our schools do not consider
gymnastics seriously and remain indifferent to our children's physical
development, the clubs affiliated
with the Turnerbund must do their share and work incessantly. As long as
we have Germans in America who enjoy the liberty provided by a free
democratic government but have lived here from two to twenty years
without becoming citizens--so long must we have Turnvereine (gymnastic
clubs) to instill in them a sense of duty. As long as various States and
communities pass laws which are contrary to the Constitution, and as
long as we still need laws for compulsory school attendance, laws for
the prevention of child labor, for the inspection of factories and of
the sanitary conditions prevailing there, as long as monopolies usurp
the country, and the present unjust taxation persists, so long must we
have Turnvereins, for we have not yet reached our goal. As long as
so-called church property is tax-exempt in order to enrich the
pusillanimous clergy with their downcase heads--whereas Turnvereins are
taxed--and as long as the nation uses the inscription 'In God We Trust'
on every quarter dollar, thereby circulating a pious falsehood at state
expense--as long as these conditions persist, the Turnvereins have not
outlived their usefulness.
"And furthermore, gentlemen! As long as instruction in the German language faces elimination from the public schools in a city like Chicago, where we have two hundred thousand Germans, and as long as we have children of Germans who do not understand their mother tongue, as long as we have German families who are unfamiliar with the German classics, who do not even subscribe to a German newspaper, as long as we have Germans who are not ashamed of their national origin, as long as we have men in the United States who are interested in introducing German customs and the German language, just so long should we have Turnvereins.
"Therefore, gentlemen, support our movement, and help us to attain
our worthy goal. We do not ask whether you came from Swabia, Bavaria,
Hesse, Saxony, or Mecklenburg. We only ask that you shall be a person of
good character and shall give us assurances that you are a citizen or
will become one.
"In closing I hope that you will enjoy the evening's entertainment, that you will be present on future occasions, and that you will always encourage us!"
Applause....The Turner Male Chorus led by their conductor, Heinze, then sang the "Turner March" by Abt and "Das Lied" by the same composer. The rendition was faultless; the chorus sang with such self-assurance and developed such beauty of tone that even the most hardened critics expressed unstinted approval. The following numbers maintained the same high standard. A bass solo by Lener-mann must not be forgotten.....His offering received tremendous applause. A dance followed and continued until late at night....
Courtesy Newberry
The orchestra played an introduction, after which Max Stern addressed the assembly. His speech was very effective, and the audience greeted him with much acclaim.
Stern's Speech
"My Friends: The committee on arrangements may indeed be pardoned
for announcing a speech on an occasion of this kind. After all, this
evening not only represents the opening of our season but also means the
beginning of a new decade in the history of our organization. We should
have been justified in calling this our thirtieth anniversary."Under such conditions it is of course permissible and customary to speak of the past. However, I shall not tax your patience; I shall confine myself to the main events affecting our institution.
"The history of our Turner movement began in the year 1852. At that time a number of Chicago's Germans realized the necessity of forming a German association for the purpose of furthering Germanism, that is, to awaken an understanding of our views and of our mode of life and to obtain greater recognition for the German-American element, and this, naturally, could only be attained by co-operation. A meeting was held at the Rio Grande Hotel on La Salle Street, and that marked the beginning of the Turnverein of Chicago. [Translator's note: Turnverein means Gymnastic club. The movement which originated in Germany when Friedrich L. Jahn, a German patriot, 1778-1852, advocated the Greek principle, "a sane mind in a sound body," and founded the Turner movement.....The halls were supplied with apparatus for physical exercise, and to take care of the mental phase, lectures on scientific subjects, music, drama, etc., were featured. In places outside Germany the Turnhalle became a general gathering place for Germans.] On October 3, 1853, Carl Senne, chairman of the organization, gave the opening address. It may interest you to know how the Turnverein of Chicago became our present Turngemeinde [community or alliance].
"Soon after the first Verein [club] was founded, it became apparent that the West Side needed a separate club because of lack of transportation facilities, and so the Vorwaerts [Forward] Turnverein was organized. This second club moved into its own quarters in 1857, but the building unfortunately burned down a year later, and therefore the club affiliated itself with the Chicago Turnverein; the organization was then called the Chicago Turngemeinde. In 1860 the alliance moved to the old hall on Kinzie Street, and shortly after, as a fitting beginning to the second decade of the association's existence, its members formed the well-known Company G and went to Cairo to fight for the Union, the Turngemeinde providing their equipment. Those who did not join at the time found the patriotism of the first company irresistible and also wanted to be in the ranks. [These later recruits] and Company G were then transferred to the Twenty-fourth (Hecker's) and Eighty-second Regiments. About thirty Turners died on the field of battle. A marble tablet with the names of these men now adorns our library, a gentle reminder to all who come here not to forget their country and to do their duty as citizens. Finally, in 1863, the Gemeinde bought this plot of ground and built an attractive hall.
"October 9, 1871, marked the destruction of the building, and like most of the inhabitants of the North Side the Turngemeinde found nothing to salvage. Of its 299 members only 48 did not lose their property in the fire.
"But this great calamity did not cause our association to remain indifferent to the urging of various members as well as of other residents of the North Side, to erect its present building, this hall. You have read in the last two years how a Turner of New York, Gustav Freygang, lent us $20,000 to complete the great work. The day of the opening of the building, February 1, 1873, coincided with the beginning of the general business depression, and this six-year period of hard times affected the Geimeinde seriously, more so even than the fire.
"About two years ago Chicago's leading German businessmen came to the rescue and published an open letter in the Illinois Staats-Zeitung suggesting that the Turngemeinde issue non-interest-bearing bonds to pay the second mortgage. You know the result. It is a source of great satisfaction to me--and I am sure that you share my sentiments--to tell you that this mortgage is paid, and that therefore the future of the Turner Hall is secure. And, although I did not mention the names of the various well-known gentlemen who proved such benefactors and enabled us to beautify the hall, let it be remembered that the omission was made only out of consideration for those who pledged their help but have as yet not contributed. However, I take this opportunity to give hearty thanks on behalf of the Turngemeinde, to the committee of citizens, headed by Alderman Schoeninger, J. E. Christoph, and Albert Boese, and all who heeded the appeal and contributed so liberally, and I also wish to express our gratitude to the press, particularly the German papers, which gave us such unanimous support. I can assure you that our members will do all within their power to show their appreciation.
"There are people who believe that the need for the Turner movement has passed, that it has outlived its usefulness, to use a common phrase. But such people are forgetful of facts; they hide from reality like the ostrich which buries its head in sand at the approach of danger.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as long as our schools do not consider
gymnastics seriously and remain indifferent to our children's physical
development, the clubs affiliated
with the Turnerbund must do their share and work incessantly. As long as
we have Germans in America who enjoy the liberty provided by a free
democratic government but have lived here from two to twenty years
without becoming citizens--so long must we have Turnvereine (gymnastic
clubs) to instill in them a sense of duty. As long as various States and
communities pass laws which are contrary to the Constitution, and as
long as we still need laws for compulsory school attendance, laws for
the prevention of child labor, for the inspection of factories and of
the sanitary conditions prevailing there, as long as monopolies usurp
the country, and the present unjust taxation persists, so long must we
have Turnvereins, for we have not yet reached our goal. As long as
so-called church property is tax-exempt in order to enrich the
pusillanimous clergy with their downcase heads--whereas Turnvereins are
taxed--and as long as the nation uses the inscription 'In God We Trust'
on every quarter dollar, thereby circulating a pious falsehood at state
expense--as long as these conditions persist, the Turnvereins have not
outlived their usefulness."And furthermore, gentlemen! As long as instruction in the German language faces elimination from the public schools in a city like Chicago, where we have two hundred thousand Germans, and as long as we have children of Germans who do not understand their mother tongue, as long as we have German families who are unfamiliar with the German classics, who do not even subscribe to a German newspaper, as long as we have Germans who are not ashamed of their national origin, as long as we have men in the United States who are interested in introducing German customs and the German language, just so long should we have Turnvereins.
"Therefore, gentlemen, support our movement, and help us to attain
our worthy goal. We do not ask whether you came from Swabia, Bavaria,
Hesse, Saxony, or Mecklenburg. We only ask that you shall be a person of
good character and shall give us assurances that you are a citizen or
will become one."In closing I hope that you will enjoy the evening's entertainment, that you will be present on future occasions, and that you will always encourage us!"
Applause....The Turner Male Chorus led by their conductor, Heinze, then sang the "Turner March" by Abt and "Das Lied" by the same composer. The rendition was faultless; the chorus sang with such self-assurance and developed such beauty of tone that even the most hardened critics expressed unstinted approval. The following numbers maintained the same high standard. A bass solo by Lener-mann must not be forgotten.....His offering received tremendous applause. A dance followed and continued until late at night....
Courtesy Newberry
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