The Turners organization was founded in Germany in 1811 by German revolutionary and patriot Frederick Ludwig Jahn. Their purpose was to overthrow Napoleon, who had conquered Prussia and have a unified Germany.

The Turners became very powerful both physically and politically and in 1848 helped spark a revolution to make Germany a republic. They were defeated, and over 600,000 Germans were exiled.

The first Turner society in the United States was organized in 1848 in Cincinnati, Ohio. These ’48ers, as they were called, created vigorous athletic, cultural and social societies throughout the country.

Once here in the United States, they faced the prejudice of such groups as the Know-Nothings, but prevailed and fought for their principles and their new country in the Civil War. At the outset of the Civil War, the Turners were among the first to respond to the call to arms and enlist in the Union Army.

Turners have actively opposed all forms of oppression and have long been champions of equal rights. The Turners supported women’s suffrage, and it was from the Normal School at Milwaukee Turners that the first female physical education teacher graduated in 1875. The American Turners also developed much that is used today in Physical Education.

While German used to be the official language of the American Turners, membership and officer positions have long since been open to all Americans.

Although there were hundreds of Turner Societies in the United States at the turn of the 20th century, only about 65 still remain; most are east of the Mississippi. The active societies in Wisconsin are Sheboygan, Madison, Milwaukee, and East Side Turners.