Turners (German: Turner, gymnasts in English) are German Americans who have organised themselves in "gymnastic unions". Together with Carl Schurz they were supportive in getting Abraham Lincoln elected as President of the United States of America. A German gymnastic movement was started by Turnvater Friedrich Ludwig Jahn in the early 19th century when Germany was occupied by Napoleon. The Turnvereine ("gymnastic unions") were not only athletic, but also political, reflecting their origin in similar "nationalistic gymnastic" organizations in Europe. The German movement was instrumental in the process leading to German unification. Yet, after the failed Revolution of 1848, many left Germany, including a group of politicians and soldiers called the Forty-Eighters.
History in the USA
The American Turners provided the bodyguard at President Lincoln's inauguration 4 March, 1861, and also at Lincoln's funeral in April 1865. The American Turners suffered severe persecution at the hands of 'Anglo-Americans' during World War I. During WWI, many German-Americans discontinued their use of the German language, and 'anglicised' their surnames. In Indianapolis, Indiana, some German-Americans were forbidden to enter certain streets. Due to misunderstanding of the use of the German language, even Swiss-Americans (or at least German-speaking Swiss-Americans) were discriminated against. The Turnvereine made an important contribution to the integration of German-Americans into their new home. The organizations continue to exist in areas of heavy German immigration, such as Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, New York City, and Los Angeles. In 1948 the United States Post Office issued a 3-cent commemorative stamp marking the 100th anniversary of the movement. The current headquarters of The American Turners is in Louisville, Kentucky.
