Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-09-18
Tho German "TurneTs" and their SEMI
Centennial Anniversary.

The London AthsnGunl, August "a, says:
The second great German Turner Festival
YVES held at Berlin in the course of last week.
1t celebrated the fifty years jubilee of the
foundation of the German art of "Turnen,"
the technical expression Of these gymnastic
exercises. friedrich Ludwig jain was the in
ventor or founder Of the art in its present
shape, (quite different from the gymnastic ex-
ercises of the anciens); wherefore the name
by which he generally goes, "Turnvater
jain" The impulse which instigated jain to
teach German youth to use and strengthen
their limbs and muscles in manner hitherto
unexampled, is similar to the feeling which
gave birth to the rifle movement in this
country. 1t was the hatred and fear of
the French Emperor; it was the wish to be
strong and a match for his armies. Who
could doubt but the great muscular strength
impaired in this way, the hardening of
the nerve, sinew and the whole system, did
its part we'll when it was put to the test,
when the battles were fought.
Jahn's memory, therefore, will always be
held in honor, as that of a true patriot who
had helped not little to lberate his coun-
try. His reward comes some what late he
has rested in his grave these last ten years,
and did not live to see the art of "Turnen'
come into honor again; IL was considered
criminal for many years; it was looked
upon as high treason. When the German
youth had learned, by the help of jain, to
harden their frames, they were graciously
permitted to spill their blood, and to drive
the usurper out of the country; but when
the princes all sat safely on their different
thrones again, when the Congress of Vienna
made division of Europe, such as is still the
curse of Italy and Austria, when every pro-
mise to the German nation was broken, and
Metternich, Cent?, and Others like them,
ruled over Germany; then jain and Arndt,
and all the good patriots who had been
spared in battle (unlike Theoder Kornor,
whom Fate had bedded softly in his youth
and glory were banished and stigmatized as
traitors, the art of "Turnen" was forbidden
and prohibited as dangerous to the State.
The exiled art has returned now to its
country; thousands of its disciples from all
parts of Germany, and even America, were
received at Berlin by the authorities of the
town, and cheering multitudes, festival
arches, music and flowers. The first day,
with the procession of the "Turners" aad
their reception brought the whole town into
commotion; but we hear so often now of
these professions, of floral showers, the cere-
mony of the conservation of banners, and all
the usual appurtenances Of such tetsS, that
they seem like every day occurrences More
over, the speeches were weak and fiat. His
torical "reminiscences could not be well
avoided, and these were SO little fattering to
Prussia, with regard to jain, that it was
deemed courteous, probably, to dwell on
them as little as possible.
What distinguished this festival from
others of the sort was the performance of the
Turner'S" on the Hasenhaide, near Moabit,
which took place on the second day. This
is large plain in the vicinity Of Berlin, fa-
nous because jain made his first attempts
and experiments there. Here, with multi
tudes of people for delighted spectators,
among which were the Minister Count
Schwerin, with his daughters, and the Po-
lice, director, Won Winter, the "Turners," in
their Turner costume-gray jacket and
trouseIs-fye or six thousand in number
and placed in lines, went through the move
ments of the school. 1t was peculiar and
highly interesting sight; the precision and
alacrity with which the different evolutions
and man9uvres were executed by the strong
limbed, tall and well-shaped young men, ex-
cited real and general admiration.
AT one time, when all the arms, by word
of command, were stretched up high and
straight, it reminded us OF field of Indian
corn suddenly sprung up; then the bending
Of the thousands of human forms TO the right
and to the left, with an accuracy which
made them like one body, might be compared
again to the waves of a field, its corn, ears
moved by the wind. This lasted about an
hour and a half and certainly formed the
most interesting feat OF the festival. After
this the foundation stone was laid Ct was
taken from the house in which Jahn was
boIn) of a monument to the memory of jain,
which is TO stand in the centre OF the Haisens
haide, We hear that TurnVerein," with
one hundred and fifty members, has been
formed by the Germans in London.