USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > A History of the city of Newark, New Jersey : embracing practically two and a half centuries, 1666-1913, Volume II > Part 58
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SWISS ALPINE SINGERS' CLUB.
Messrs. August Schreiber, Caspar Staelili, Ed. Heer and William Kull started this club in February, 1886, and named it Schweizer Alpen-Sanger- Club. At the fourth song festival of the Suabian-American Singers' League, in 1898, the club took the first prize in class II, and two years later first prize in class I.
BADISCHE LIEDERTAFEL.
About twenty-five men met together on April 2, 18SS, to form a national society, which they named "Badische Liedertafel" ( Badensian Song Table). The first officers were David Feuerstein, president; Alois Koellhoffer, vice- president; Franz Ens, recording secretary; Ernst Lude, financial secretary; Bernhard Dutter, corresponding secretary; Alexander Unverzagt, treasurer. In 1891 the society joined the United Singers of Newark and has joined in every song festival since.
PIONIER LIEDERTAFEL.
The Pioneer Song Table grew out of the choral section of the Pioneer Society. It was organized as a separate body on March 17, 1890. The fol- lowing officers were elected: Louis Frühinsfeld, president; Th. Moeller, vice-president; F. Ern, recording secretary; J. Schmidt, financial secretary; Ch. Wiecke, treasurer; Martin Karg, choral director. The present director is Mr. Gustav Hopf.
HESSIAN SINGERS' LEAGUE.
At the semi annual meeting of the Hessian Benevolent Society, known as Hessen K. U. Verein No. 1, a number of members expressed a desire for a choral society, made up of Hessians. This was on December 1. 1896, and
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on December 6 the "Hessischer Sangerbund" was formed. The election of officers resulted as follows: Henry Schaefer, president; Alois Noll, vice- president; Justus Noll, recording secretary; Theo. Frabel, financial secre- tary; Ernst Riethmann, director. Each year the league has held a summer night's festival, and its Christmas celebrations have always been most enjoy- able. The Hessian Ladies' Society presented to the league three banners- the society flag, the star-spangled banner and the "Bummelfaline."
SOCIALIST SONG TABLE.
A number of laboring men identified with Socialism met under the chairmanship of Albert Hoffer, with Emil Zimmerman acting as secretary, on June 9, 1902, in P. Welcker's Hall, to form a choral society. Most of the founders had been connected with the chorus of the Liberty Society. The following were the first officers: Richard (v. d.) Steiner, president; Ernst Maibauer, vice-president; Emil Zimmermann, corresponding secretary; Carl Schnefel, recording secretary; Wilhelm Wester, financial secretary; Her- man Henry treasurer. It was decided to join the Laborers' Song Union of the Northeastern States ( Arbeiter Sangerbund). In less than a year after its formation, the Socialist Liedertafel consisted of thirty-nine active and one hundred and fourteen associate members.
MALE CHORUS HOFFNUNG.
There is no danger that the singing societies of our progressive city will ever die out, thanks to the social spirit of the German singers. The enterprising Germans in the newly annexed part of Clinton township were not willing to be left out, and organized a choral society of their own, which they called "Hoffnung" ( Hope). This happened on September 5, 1903, and, on October 9, twenty men joined In the first song, under the direction of Mr. Jungmann, in Pfeifer's Hall on Neye avenue. With the removal to Starzmann's Hall on Clinton place, a new spirit awakened and roused the members to greater effort. Under the direction of Mr. Paul Raabe, the society is doing good work. The first officers were C. F. Ruedinger, president; Paul Fritsch, vice-president; August Horbach, secre- tary; Otto Bader, treasurer.
GERMAN THEATRICALS.
With the growth of the German population in Newark in the early fifties, there arose a desire for theatrical performances in the German language. An advertisement of 1853 announces Schiller's "Die Räuber" (The Robbers) at the German Theatre in the Concert Hall, corner of Market and Harrison streets. In the same hall Weber's popular opera, "Preciosa," was given by members of the "German National Theatre of New York," and also Hahn's "Griseldis." The Concert Hall was, of course, the old opera house, later known as Waldmann's Theatre.
The demand for regular performances gave rise, in 1854, to the forma- tion of two dramatic societies-"Thalia" and "Bruderbund." The Thalia continued till late in the carly eighties. The Bruderbund did not last very long and was succeeded, in the spring of 1855, by the "Urania," which gave performances at Liberty Hall on South Canal street for a tline.
Two other dramatic associations, organized shortly before the Civil War, were the "Freundschaftskreis" ( Friendship Circle) and the "Har-
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monie," both meeting in Roth's Green Street Hall. Under the auspices of the Harmonie the popular knighthood play, "Käthchen von Heilbronn," was performed, for the first time in Newark, on May 6, 1858.
The German society, "Humor," also produced a number of plays, and in the '60s a number of famous European artists gave occasional perform- ances at the opera house.
During the '80s and '90s, Newark had a regular German theatre, under the directorate of Lother-Schober and of Mr. Adolf Heine. Then followed a time of "guest plays" under Conried, Philipp and Wurster, but lack of support soon put an end to these also.
In order to revive an interest in German plays, the German-American Central Society entered into a contract with Alexander Wurster, director of the German theatre at Philadelphia, in the fall of 1902, to give regular performances at the Empire Theatre. As long as Mr. Wurster held the directorship, the work was excellent, and was so well supported that the promoters had a surplus in the treasury, which was given to the German- English schools of Newark. Changes in the management of the Philadelphia organization led to disastrous results, and the Central Society soon found itself burdened with such a heavy deficit that it was compelled to give up the undertaking.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE GERMAN TURNVEREIN AND ITS INFLUENCE.
FATHER JAHN'S INFLUENCE IN AMERICA, THROUGH BECK, FOLLEN AND LIEBER -ORGANIZATION OF THE FIRST TURNVEREIN-THE NATIONAL TURNERBUND
AND ITS FIGHT AGAINST SLAVERY, KNOW NOTHINGISM AND PROHIBITION- THE GROWTH OF THE BUND IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE TURNER FESTIVALS-PARTICIPATION OF THE TURNERS IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION-THE HISTORY OF NEWARK TURNVEREIN-TURNVEREIN VOR- WAERTS AND NATIONAL TURNVEREIN.
With all his idealism, the German takes good care of his physical welfare. In Germany gymnastic exercises (Turnerei) were introduced in the first quarter of the nineteenth century by the patriot, Frederick Ludwig Jahn.
The earlier Turner movement in America, like the men who introduced it, became absorbed in American life and was lost sight of as a German institution. Though the movement failed to stimulate the continued multi- plication of German gymnastic societies, as was at first expected, the influence of the Jahn gymnastics must not be underrated. The Jahn system of physical exercises has left a distinct impression on American education, and prepared the field for the later and improved methods of physical culture.
Carl Beck and Carl Follen, disciples of Jahn, arrived in New York together, on Christmas day, 1827. The next year Dr. Beck was appointed teacher of Latin at the Round Hill School (established in 1823 by George Bancroft and Joseph Green Bagswell), Northampton, Massachusetts, and under his direction the Round Hill Gymnasium was erected the same year after the model of the school established by "Turnvater" Jahn. Dr. Beck gave a great impulse to the gymnastic movement thus introduced by trans- lating Jahn's "Deutsche Turnerknust" for the use of American pupils. Carl Follen also had taught at the Round Hill School, but, in 1836, was called to Harvard College, to the chair of Church History and Ethics, and, supported
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by an appeal to the medical professors of Harvard, organized a gymnasium at the college in May of the same year, after the model of Jahn. Francis Lieber landed in New York on January 20, 1827, and went direct to Boston. Before his arrival, Dr. John Collins Warren, professor In the Harvard Medical School, and one of the firmest supporters of Dr. Follon's gymnastic enterprise, and the most active representative of the Tremont Gymnasium, founded in Boston in 1825, had made a vigorous effort to secure Father Jahn as director of the Tremont Gymnasium, but, finding he could not raise sufficient funds to induce "the distinguished philosopher and gymnasiarch" to come to America, he addressed Dr. Lieber, "a gentleman of education, and in other respects well fitted to take the superintendence of a public gymnasium." Thus Franz Lieber, like his two illustrious compatriots, Beck and Follen, began his career in America as an active Turner.
It was with the arrival of the Forty-eighters that a Turner move- ment in America received a new impulse. The first Turners of the '20s and '30s in this country were too few in number to make settlements and form distinctively German Turner organizations, but, the Forty-eighters came by thousands and settled in masses in many large cities, transplanting bodily the culture they represented in the Fatherland.
The rapid growth of Turner organizations in America between 1848 and 1851 attests the strength of the movement from the start. The first Turngemeinde was organized in Cincinnati, November 21, 1848. Then fol- lowed the New York Turngemeinde (November 28, 1848), Die Newarker Turngemeinde (autumn, 1848), Der Bostoner Turnverein (April 22, 1849), Die Philadelphia Turngemeinde (May 15, 1849), Die Social-Dema-Kratische Turngemeinde in Baltimore (1848), Der Socialistische Turnverein (June, 1851), Indianapolis Turngemeinde (July, 1851). It is, perhaps, a significant fact that these Turner organizations were organized under the patronage, not simply as Turners, but under the stimulus of the leading revolutionary spirits of Germany. Frederick Hecker, Gustave Struve, Carl Heinzen and other fighters of the revolutionary war of 1848 in Germany, participated in the organization of some of them, and their spirit permeated all.
Associations in the new land soon began to engross the interest of the exiled Turner, and he found that even the Land of Liberty was wrestling with institutions of slavery and oppression in various forms. Accordingly, we find the Turners as individuals and as an organization taking active part in the issues of nativism, knownothingism, prohibition and negro-slavery. The Turnerbund at the convention held in Buffalo in September, 1855, declared unmistakably against the institution of slavery in the Republic of the United States, and particularly against the extension of slavery to the Territories. This was, perhaps, the most notable convention in the history of the Turners in America, coming, as it did, on the eve of the greatest military struggle on record-the War of Secession. Three forms of oppres- sion or infringement upon individual rights then confronted the Turnerbund as well as the nation: nativism, slavery and prohibition agitation; and against all three the convention uttered its most unequivocal condemnation.
After a lapse of half a century it is next to impossible for the younger generation, with its enlightened views of German culture, to fully con- prehend the bitter antagonism, which, under the form of nativism and knownothingism, confronted the Germans in America in the early fifties of the last century. However, the Turners opposed these enemies with the same vigor as later in the War of the Rebellion they fought for the Union and the Stars and Stripes.
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In the meantime the organization of Turner societies had been going on in all the larger cities of the East and Middle West. On October 5, 1850, delegates of the Turner societies of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Boston met in Philadelphia and formed a "National Union of Gymnastic . Societies" (Nationale Turnerbund) ; a newspaper, "Turnerzeitung," was established as a representative organ, which is still in existence. The growth of the "Turnerbund," as this national organization was called, was very rapid. In 1855 it embraced sixty societies; in 1859 the "Turnerbund" contained seventy-one societies in the West, with 4,500 members; twenty societies in the East with 1,800 members, and, besides, there were in exist- ence sixty-one other independent societies, with a membership of over 3,000. After the Civil War there was a reunion of all Turnvereine, including most of the independent organizations. A new feature, which was designed to advance the cultivation of gymnastics, was the foundation of a seminary for the training of teachers in the art. The Turnlehrer-Seminary was first located in New York, though at the present time the centre of the whole movement is located in the West, Milwaukee being the seat of a flourishing school. In 1872 the "Turnerbund" had over 12,000 members, with over 5,600 active gymnasts; one hundred and thirty-two societies had schools of gymnastics for boys, and eighteen societies had, besides, schools for girls, and nearly all of them supported schools for drawing, languages, etc. According to the report of the "Turnerbund" of January 1, 1912, the mem- bership amounted to 39,476, with 5,260 active gymnasts, 3,376 junior members, and 10,332 boys and 7,565 girls who were members of schools of gymnastics. There are singing societies with 2,038 members, and dramatic associations with 585 ladies and gentlemen. The ladies' auxiliaries have a membership of 6,599. The halls of the different associations belonging to the "Turnerbund" are estimated at the value of $5,937,824.00, an increase from 1911 of $559,20.00. Elementary schools are conducted by twenty-two associations, drawing schools by fifteen, and a number of them support manual training schools, sewing schools and one even a school for musical instruction.
A feature of the "Turnerbund" are the festivals, which are held every four years. These reunions of all the different societies are occasions for athletle contests, which are conducted with a great deal of spirit. Those festivals are held in different parts of the country, changing from East to West and back again. The first festival was held on the 29th and 30th of September, 1851, in Philadelphia. Once, in the summer of 1885, the reunion took place here, in Newark. The last festival took place in Denver, Colorado, in June, 1913.
The "Newark Turnverein." As early as the fall of 1848, and, therefore, at the same time as the two gymnastic societies in Cincinnati and New York were founded, there existed in Newark an association of young people, for the most part jewelers from Pforzheim and Hanau, most of whom had, Ikowise, already practised gymnastics in Germany, and who applied them- selves assiduously to the cultivation of gymnastics. The gymnasium, where they set up their small apparatus, was in Lehr's Hall, ahnost opposite the old Green Street Hall, under the direction of Friech. Kiefer. This was the beginning of the "Newark Turnverein"; the day on which it was founded cannot, however, be stated with certainty.
The headquarters were at Lonis Adam's place at "Turnhall," 252 Mul- berry street, corner of Cottage street. . Among the members who belonged to the society, either before its organization, or, who entered soon after,
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were Geo. Elsasser, Louis Stahl, Franz Habich, Louis Adam, Fritz Lichten- fels, Chas. Dillmann, Störcher, J. Stiefel, C. Abrecht, John Becker, Jul. Jordan, Henry Schoppe, Ernst Hausmann, Fritz Merk, Wm. Lieb, Carl Koch, Wackenhuth, Carl John Seiffert, Wm. Beck, Chas. Volcker and others. A young American, too, Van Giesson by name, was a member of the "Turn- verein." The gymnasium was, in the course of time, transferred to a loft over the old Brintzinghofer Building in Broad street, and still later to tlie neighborhood of Market and Washington streets. The gymnasium teacher was Fritz Lichtenfels. In October, 1851, the Socialist Gymnastic Society ( Sozialistischer Turn-Verein), later called the "Socialer Turn-Verein," was formed, whereupon the "Turnverein" disbanded. Lincoln's call to arms caused many Newark citizens to enlist and march to war. Many of the members of the association. who fought for the freeing of the slaves, had fallen on the field of battle.' The survivors returned to their peaceful homes, to help to heal the wounds in active business, which the fraternal feud had inflicted upon the land.
In November, 1865, the "Unabhängiger Turn-Verein" (Independent Turn Association) was formed, among the founders of which belonged Charles Ringlieb and Ernst Münster. For years the two gymnastic societies existed independently, side by side, until 1878, when the union of the two and the founding of the "Newark Turn-Verein" was accomplished. Wm. Schlatter was at that time the first speaker of the Social-Verein, whereas Carl Kniep held that position in the Gymnastic Society (Unabhängiger Turn-Verein). Wm. Schlatter became the first presiding officer-the first speaker-as he is called, of the "Newark Turn-Verein" and Conrad Wiede- mann the teacher of gymnastics.
Later a capable teacher of gymnastics-Mr. George Seikel-assumed charge of the training of the young people, whose work meets with brilliant success up to the present day.
Thus the capacity for work on the part of the young people increased, and as a reward for the pains and toit expended upon it, they entered into all the athletic contests of the North American Gymnastic Association. They first entered the lists at the athletic festival of the association in Philadelphia, in 1879. They won their first spurs at St. Louis in 1881 by gaining the fourth prize. They gained an important victory for their standard at the athletic festival at Williamsburgh in 1883, and did not rest until, at the national festival of the Athletic Association, held in Newark in 1885, they carried off the first division prize-the highest distinction they could win. But not only in the field of physical culture did the society work with ceaseless endeavor, accommodating itself to all modern improve- ments, but also in other branches of juvenile development. However incredible it may sound, it is still a fact that at the beginning of the '70s there was no public drawing school in Newark, in spite of the fact that our community was, even at that time, one of the greatest industrial centres in the country. The "Newark Turn-Verein" supplied this lack by establishing a drawing school and, besides, by means of its representatives on the School Board, it influenced this body to such an extent that, finally, it, too, although
1 The twentieth New York Regiment (Turner rifles) consisted only of Ger-
mans. Over 1,200 men, a great many of them having enlisted from Newark, left New York, June 13, 1861, under Col. Max Weber. This regiment fought in a num- bor of battles and did excellent service-not less than 3,148 members of the "Tur- norbund," or 50 per cent. of the total members, are recorded as having taken part In the war against secession. Many other men not put on record, so that perhaps 6,000 men out of a membership of about 7,000, followed Lincoln's call to arms.
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to be sure, only after a hard struggle, was persuaded to establish the present municipal school of design.
1 Fire destroyed the fine home of the "Turn-Verein" during the night of June 3rd, 1907, with its well-equipped Turn Hall, library, pictures, all the schoolrooms, the case with all the flags and honor diplomas which former members had gained, etc. The members' list was saved by Mr. Noah Guter and J. Ortner by venturing into the burning building. It was a severe blow, but the association was not bowed down. The very next day it decided to rebuild, and the result of this energy and enterprise is the present magnifi- cent home of the society -- surpassed by very few indeed.
The "Newark Turn-Verein" has always been energetic in advancing its schools. The verein has conscientiously enlarged this feature, and, as late as last year, it added a commercial school in which are taught such subjects as: Single and double entry bookkeeping, commercial arithmetic, commercial correspondence in English and German, law pertaining to checks and drafts, American international commercial law, importation and exportation, duties and customs, currency, arbitrage, operations in drafts, currency, stocks and bonds, principles of stock exchange, etc. The association is in a flourishing condition and its membership growing.
"TURN-VEREIN VORWARTS."
The second oldest "Turn-Verein" in Newark was organized in 1882, in the lower end of the city, the so-called "ironbound" district. The associa- tion started with about 200 members, and grew so rapidly that it was able, in 1886, to move to its own new and commodious home, 192-196 Ferry street. The founder of this verein and its first speaker was Wm. Schlatter, now living in Peoria, Ill. However, misfortune overtook the young associa- tion, and it had to give up its own hall and drift from one place to another, until it finally succeeded in again acquiring a home of its own in 95 Lang street. Meanwhile the verein had resigned from the "Turnerbund," and it is now a flourishing athletic club, having won many prizes in athletic contests.
"NATIONAL TURN-VEREIN."
Only one year younger than the Vorwarts is the "National Turn-Verein," which was organized by a number of junior society members of the "Newark Turn-Verein" who were dissatisfied with certain rulings of the school com- mittee of the association. After having formed a preliminary organization at a meeting on an open lot in Stirling street, on June 23rd, 1883, they made Ludwig Mussehl's National Hall, on the corner of South Orange avenue and Wallace street, their headquarters, where they began their athletic exercises. After a long debate and different changes, the new organization finally decided on the name of "National Turn-Verein," and elected as its first officers the following members: President, Charles F. Hosp; vice-president, Ernst Brautigam; first secretary, Fred. Jacobi; second secretary, Rudolph W. Kuser; treasurer, Fred. Schimper; first turnwart, William Lieb; second turnwart, Joseph Reinert; first zeugwart, William Storsberg; second zeug- wart, Henry Rhode. The association grew rapidly and after it had taken headquarters for a few years in Saenger Hall (now Krueger Auditorium), it decided to build its own house. The plan was put into execution and the new hall on the property, 209-211 Bruce street, was opened with imposing ceremonies, on November 5, 6 and 7, 1892. The ceremonies were attended by Governor Leon Abbett, Congressman Thomas Dunn English and Mayor
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Haines, who all made addresses. In May, 1902, the association bought the property, 213-217 Bruce street, for $6,000 and extended the old home by the erection of an addition at a cost of $12,500. This is all paid off, so that the association is now free from debt. The "National Turn-Verein" has a membership of over 1,400, without counting the hundreds of children and juniors who enjoy the privileges of the gymnasium. The membership is divided into different auxiliary clubs devoted to bowling, fencing, pyramid work, baseball, basketball, wrestling, cycling, etc. Two of the members, George Mehnert and John Kruz, were selected to represent America in the wrestling championship at the Olympic Games in London in 1908.
It is perhaps too early in the history of America to philosophize as to the cultural merits of the Turner movement in America. But a few state- ments concerning this movement are both safe and timely:
First: The German Turners gave to America a system of gymnastics which laid the foundation for the all-engrossing institution of American athletics, and particularly that form of athletics which centres about the college gymnasium.
Second: The Turners have constituted a strong bulwark of national defence in times when rowdyism and other forms of disorder threatened the lives of defenceless citizens, their discipline filling the place, in many instances, of well-organized troops of militia.
Third: The Turners set a noble example by being in the first ranks of Americans in the abolition of the institution of slavery. This was pre- eminently their first mission in America.
Fourth : The Turner movement has stood and still stands for the right of the individual, for freedom of thought and conscience, and the presence of such an organization in the land of liberty is a wholesome check upon many abuses to which republics are likely to fall a prey. And while, in the estimation of Puritan America, these free-thinking organizations are a formidable menace to inviolate tradition, the philosopher-student of culture must recognize that the same spirit which prompts occasional revolutionary excesses, is to a sufficient extent, self-corrective, and is sure in the end, if it follows its best impulses, to listen to the voice of reason and learn from it the lesson of wisdom.
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