What was the Detroiter Socialer Turnverein?

**buildingsofdetroit** · August-10-10, 05:12 PM

http://cgi.ebay.com/1936-Detroit-Det...t_Photo_Images

Any clue?

EastSider · August-10-10, 05:30 PM

It was a German club. Their motto was "sound mind within a sound body." Their building included a gymnasium.

There were many Turn vereins across the country. Detroit's was founded in 1853. If you can read German, the Burton Collection has their records from about 1869 to 1939.

Google is amazing.

LodgeDodger · August-10-10, 05:34 PM

**gnome** · August-10-10, 05:38 PM

the DST was a long running international movement that had its roots in the revolution of 1848-ish. what it was, was a "better living through athleitics" kind of thing. Massive athletic rallies were held on Belle Isle where tens of thousands of DST volk showed up to run and jump and spread their message that we could be much happier if we set down the doritos and picked up a dumbbell.

one of their main places was on jefferson in Indian Village between seminole and Iroquois.

There are some pix on the wsu site and more info on the old forum. Gistok knows more IIRC

**gnome** · August-10-10, 05:39 PM

jeeze, you guys beat me to the punch.

**FredGarvin** · August-10-10, 06:26 PM

Did they have Doritos in the 1840's?

**Gsgeorge** · August-10-10, 06:32 PM

Where is/was this building located? Jefferson btw Seminole & Iroquois? Or is this from another part of the city?

**Hermod** · August-10-10, 08:05 PM

We lived in a largely German neighborhood. Many of our neighbors [[Schmidt, Bernhardt, Jung, Bohr, Wetselberg, Kramer) were members of the "Turners". In addition to their athletic activities, they also had a lot of dances and other social functions. My parents often were invited as guests [[even though we were a bunch of Swedes).

.

**zitro** · August-11-10, 07:52 AM

I had brought this up once before on the old forum when I ran across these matches in my collection

.

**gnome** · August-11-10, 09:06 AM

Interior shot, take notice of the Bauhaus style chairs

Dedication of the Schiller monument on Belle Isle

Auditorium

Frank Kreuzer, 1926 sporting a very modern bathing costume

**zitro** · August-11-10, 09:35 AM

Awesome pics Gnome!

**zitro** · August-11-10, 09:41 AM

The pic of this pool looks similar in style to the old original YMCA pool, where the upper bowl is right over the pool area. I've often wondered if the upper rails were used for high dive activities

**EastsideAl** · August-13-10, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by Gsgeorge

Where is/was this building located? Jefferson btw Seminole & Iroquois? Or is this from another part of the city?

It was on Jefferson between Fischer and Crane, at the site of the present-day UAW retirees center.

**Gistok** · August-14-10, 12:09 AM

Sorry Gnome... I was part of the Dorito crowd... don't know much about that particular German "Verein" [[Club).

One of the odder German clubs in Detroit was called "Schlaraffia" They considered themselves almost nobility... many claim ancestry to lesser German dukes, earls and princes. They used to dress up in historic, sometimes in armored garb. I did find this rather amusing California offshoot still in existence... [[check out the German "Grand Pubah").
http://www.schlaraffia-franciscana.com/

The German societies of the latter 19th and earlier 20th century [[in both Germany and overseas)... generally consisted of 3 main types.... Turnverein [[Gymnastic Society)... Gesangverein [[Choral Society)... and Schützenverein [[Sportsmen Society... mainly related to hunting). These were subdivided by the region of Germany [[or eastern European ethnic German) where they originated.

For example... Carpathia Club [[established in 1913 and still going strong) was originally a Choral Society of Balkan Germans from the lower Danube region of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.