SCHENECTADY TURNVEREIN
Historical Notes of the Organization
The following article was taken from the program book
prepared for the 50th Anniversary celebration in 1941.
Founded 1891
While Turnvereins (Gymnastic Societies) existed in our neighboring cities
Albany, Troy and Amsterdam 70 years ago, the organization of the Schenectady
Turnverein took place much later. To be specific it happened on a Sunday,
February 15th, 1891, at the place 322 State Street, between the railroad
crossing and the present Schenectady Trust Company. The Troy Turnverein acted as
sponsor.
Twenty-nine of the men present were in favor of organizing the Turnverein and
signed their names as members. They were: Karl Schlechtiger, Anton Ruedesheim,
Ernst Knauer, C. Raabe, J. K. Kurowsky, Carl Eisentraeger, F. W. Krause, Edward
A. Welti, Hans Juergensen, Adolph Gehrold, Otto Offenhaeuser, Jr., Jacob Goertz,
Hugo Bruns, Joseph Lutz, August Weinmann, F. Sinnenberg, F. Witte, Jacob
Freeling, Ernst Helser of Troy, Max Grimmer, Ferdinand Moltke, Florian
Wiesenfahrt, E. Sixtus, Charles Haeusermann, Otto Qffenhaeuser, Sr., Louis
Goetz, Arnold Hoffman and John Pfaffenbach.
Of these Hans Juergensen is the only member still belonging to the Turnverein.
Mr. Welti, an Attorney, for many years residing in New York, and Mr. Goertz,
residing in Schenectady, are still alive and we expect to have them with us
during the festivities.
First President
Otto Offenhaeuser, Sr. was the first president.
At a meeting held four days later the Verein gained 15 more members.
The first gymnastic exhibition, assisted by the Troy Turnverein, took place on
April 20th.
The first meetings were held at the hall of the German Singing Society “Arion”.
A few months later a building was rented on South Church Street, near Union
Street.
A few weeks after the founding of the society a singing section and a dramatic
section were organized. This singing section is now known as the present Turner
Maennerchor, or male chorus. The singing activities of the society were
augmented by the Ladies Chorus which was organized in 1936.
On April 5th, 1891 the Turnverein joined the landwide American Gymnastic Union,
now known as the American Turners.
The first Turnfest in Schenectady of the Central New York Turn District took
place in September, 1892, in which the Verein took the first prize against the
Turnvereins of Troy and Amsterdam. Max Grimmer was the first physical
instructor. Jacob Goertz also acted as instructor for some time.
The first ladies class was organized in September, 1892.
THE FIRST HOME
In 1893, the year of the panic, the Turnverein bought a building on So.Centre
Street (Broadway) below Edison Avenue for the sum of $8,000 and made suitable
alterations in order to have a home of its own. But in view of the hard times,
the Verein almost lost it again, all because it was sometimes unable to meet the
monthly payments of $42.50. Thanks to the initiative of a number of willing
members the Verein held a “fair” and cleared $500. The Turnhalle was saved.
In 1896 the District Turnfest was held at Bellevue Park. Our team again won the
first prize and some of our Turners, still members, won individual prizes. They
deserve honorable mention in this book: Fritz Wege, William Schoeffler and Henry
Wege.
The first girls class was organized in December, 1896.
In June 1900, the Turnverein took part in the great Turnfest of the American
Gymnastic Union in Philadelphia. One hundred and fifty Vereins participated. Our
Turnverein came home with a prize and also had the distinction that one of its
members, August Pfaffendorf, won first prize in “mental turning”—reciting. When
the members who stayed at home were notified by telegraph of the result they
gave the homecoming victors a rousing welcome with a brass band at the depot,
fire works and a march to the ball. The members taking part, and still living,
were Charles Schneidewind, Fritz Wege, Henry Wege, John G. Mislin. Others going
to the Turnfest were Bernard Troischt and Mrs. Katharine Neukam.
OUR HALL—OUR HOME
Under the leadership of our belated lamented member Henry Schneider, a movement
for the erection of a more suitable, greater and better hall started and in a
meeting of October 18th, 1901, it was decided to hold a fair in order to raise
money for the purchase of a lot. George Langenecker, for many years residing in
Newark, N.J., was President of the Verein when this most important meeting was
held. The fair was held and the Verein cleared $2,000. In the following year
another fair cleared $1,500 more and with this money the Verein bought two small
buildings on the place where Turner Hall now stands at a costs of $6,500.
Of the first memorable fair committee the following members are still with us:
Charles Bank, Hugo Lerchner, Henry Wege, Fied Wege and John Mislin.
The enthusiasm for the erection of a new big hall, which was to be a real home
for the Turnverein and for the German speaking element of the city grew with
every day and soon a “building committee” was elected to take this most
important matter in hand. A marble slate at the entrance of Turner hall is a
silent witness of the men who worked for this worthy cause. The members still
living are: Hugo Lerchner, Charles Bank, David Miller, John Mislin.
The committee decided to accept the plan of the architect Worthy Niver. The cost
of the hall was to he $26, 000.
In April, 1908 the Verein sold its small hall for the sum of $5,100 and a few
weeks after, the “exodus” from the old home was celebrated with a gay’ “farewell
party”.
Walter Wellman was the building contractor and while he was digging the cellar
he had to build a shed to be used as temporary “home” for the Verein. The old
shed in back of the hall is still “there”. Good progress was made on the
building and on August 8th the laying of the “corner stone” took place.
Henry J. Thron, who died two years later, spoke in German and Alderman Harry F.
Webster spoke in behalf of the city. Of the committee, arranging this affair and
also the dedication of the hall, only two are still with us: 0. F. Heck, who
acted as secretary, and Hugo Lerchner.
THE DEDICATION: January 1904
The dedication of our new home took place on January 8th, 9th and 10th, 1904,
with a Grand Ball on the first, the dedication festivity on the second and a
Grand Concert on the third day. All German societies of the city and singing
societies from Albany and Troy and the Amsterdam Turnverein took part and the
singing section of the Turnverein. Otto Offenhaeuser, the first president of the
Verein, spoke in German and Mrs. Johanna Lerchner, still with us, recited the “Festgruss”,
written by 0. E. Heck, which will be found on another page of this program.
The festivities were a glorious affair, never to be forgotten. The new home was
a great help to the Turnverein and the membership increased to about 350 in
1905. Turner Hall also became the home of the German societies of Schenectady
and many “fests’’ were held within its walls.
Gym Instructors in the new hall.
Herman May acted as the first instructor of the Gym. His successors were Max
Grimmer (who had been instructor before), Max Renner, J. Rittmeier and, since
1918, Henry O. Wurth.
Since taking over our new quarters on Albany Street many were the activities and
celebrations within its walls. Space will not permit enumerating them all.
Fairs, concerts, carnevals, gymnastic exhibitions and theatricals were held
yearly, besides taking part in many civic affairs. At times, even our new ball
was too small for some of our activities. Gymnastic exhibitions had to be held
in large auditoriums such as the formher Van Curler Opera House and the State
Armory, which drew tremendous crowds of spectators. Also for our concerts the
Van Curler Opera House and, later, the Mont Pleasant High School had to be
acquired to accommodate the large audiences who were eager to hear the wonderful
concerts that were given.
In 1906, the Turnverein held the largest Turnfest that ever took place in
Schenectady. This was the Turnfest of the New York District, which the
Turnverein had joined. The model exercises were held in the State Armory, the
gymnastic contests at Luna Park at Aqueduct and the festival was finished off
with a grand excursion to Lake George.
In 1907, Louis Vogel inaugurated a new kind of entertainment, the “Carneval
Sitzungen” (jester meetings) which were annual great events. His successors were
0. E. Heck, who presided on at least 15, Richard Spengler, Max Hempel and Fred
Hull.
In 1911, the Twentieth Anniversary was celebrated with many of the charter
members in attendance. Five years later, the 25th anniversary was celebrated at
which the charter members Florian Wiesenfahrt, Edward A. Welti, Hans Juergensen
and F. Schiller were guests of honor.
In June 1912 we had the pleasure of arranging another big Turnfest under the
auspices of the New York District at Blesers Park, ending with another excursion
to Lake George.
In 1918, eleven actives who returned as veterans from the World War were given a
rousing reception.
In 1921, we joined the New England Turn District in which many of our members
coming from the New England States, were well known, and in 1922 the District
Turnfest was held here at which the West New York District also took part.
In the same year, our singing section which in 1911 amalgamated with the
“Beethoven Maennerchor” members, took first prize in the first class at the
Saengerfest of the “Central New York Saengerbund”, held at Troy, N.Y., under the
leadership of Prof. Frank H. Kinum.
The largest Saengerfest ever held in Schenectady under the auspices of the New
York Saengerbund and arranged by “Turner Maennerchor” with the assistance of the
whole Turnverein was held in June 1928. The grand concert under the baton of
Prof. Frank H. Kinum in which a chorus of about 1000 voices participated was
held in the State Armory and the big auditorium was literally filled to the
rafters by the singers and audience.
Perhaps the best balanced class of our actives was the one that took part in the
National Turnfest at Buffalo in 1930. They returned with more and better prizes
than any other class attending a National competition.
Other big festivals held at the hall were “Seven Good Old German Days” in 1933
and “Spring Festival” in 1934. The throngs of people trying to gain admittance
on some evenings were so great that the doors of Turner Hall had to be closed
early in the evening.
Nothing of spectacular nature occured in the Verein in the last years. Now we
are celebrating the most eventful affair in the history of the society — the
FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY.
OUR CLUB HOUSE
In 1931, a farm of about 100 acres along the Alplaus Creek was purchased to
create a long desired Turner Park. It consists of a fine grove and meadows and
there is ample room to park 1500 cars. A fine club house was erected consisting
of a restaurant, dance hall and living quarters for the caretaker, with a large
porch on three sides. The outstanding festival held there was the “Congress of
Nations” in which, besides the Turnverein as the German group, other national
groups took part such as the Czechs, Slovaks, Hungarians, Poles, and Scotch in
their respective costumes, dances, music and singing. It was attended by 5000
people and was a wonderful spectacle, showing a fine spirit of cooperation of
national groups who have made their homes in America.