Who we are
About
We are a non-profit community center and sports facility that holds events and activities throughout the year. We are located in a large building in the Bronx, New York that has a large gym, upstairs dining room, bar, outside pool and baby pool located on Eastchester Bay.
Our Mission Statement
Our objective is the maintenance of a Turner Society and the furtherance of Turnerism.
By Turnerism, we understand the system of physical, moral and mental education and development originated by Friederich Ludwig Jahn in Germany in 1813 and introduced in America in 1848 which from there was further developed.
The membership is bound by the general principles of the American Turner Movement, especially the precepts of liberty, tolerance and democracy. As a Turner society, it seeks to offer its members and their families all the physical, cultural and social benefits traditional to Turnerism.
- To maintain principles of American Turner Movement
- To be bound by liberty, tolerance and democracy
- To offer members and their families traditional benefits of Turnerism
We offer many activities for both adults and all ages including Pickleball, Basketball, Billiards, Yoga/Aerobics, Art, Swimming, and Taekwondo.
The membership is bound by the general principles of the American Turner Movement, especially the precepts of liberty, tolerance and democracy.
Stay up to date on American Turners New York upcoming events, worthy mentions, membership information, sports, and other activities.
Our History
Chronological Order the History of Predecessor Societies and the New York Turners
For the history of the Turner movement in America, please visit the website of the National organization: Amturners.org. You can also download a pdf here.
The 1848/49 revolution in Germany brought several thousand political refugees--the so-called 48ers—to the United States. Among these refugees were Turners, who soon after their arrival, started to build Turner societies after their German models. These German/American organizations were for the development of physical education as well as vehicles with which German immigrants could continue their cultural endeavors in North America during the 19th century.
On June 6, 1850, a group of 36 young men, all German, met at Stubenbard’s Restaurant on Duane Street in lower Manhattan and founded what was then called the Socialistischen Turn Verein. In the fall of 1851, this first New York Turner Society established a school for teaching gymnastics to boys. By 1853 there were ten Turner Societies in the nation. In 1856 the Eagle Hall at Chrystie and Delancey Streets was obtained to accommodate the growth in membership. Rapid expansion led to the purchase of the Quaker Meeting House at 27-33 Orchard Street, north of Canal Street, in 1859. On March 20, 1857 the Society was incorporated by a special act of the State Legislature and its name was changed to “The Turn Verein, in the City of New York,” commonly referred to as the New York Turn Verein (N.Y.T.V.). It operated under this name another 126 years until it merged with Mount Vernon Turners to form the American Turners of New York, Inc. in 1983.
With the start of the Civil War in 1861, President Abraham Lincoln, on April 15, called for 75,000 volunteers for the Union. Within two weeks, the 20th Regiment of New York Volunteers was organized, with 1,200 officers and men, all Turners. The Turners’ involvement in the American Civil War showed that they were willing, as an ethnic minority, for fight for the democratic principles of their newly chosen homeland. From this point on, Turners lived in a country whose rights they had fought for and whose history in which they were a part.
The 20th Regiment saw two years of heavy action—Wilderness, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Salem Heights. The State of New York erected a monument commemorating the Regiment’s gallantry and marking the place on the Antietam battlefield where the Turners made a charge. They were the only ones in that battle to be so honored by the State of New York.
One major goal of the Turners after the Civil War was the reformation of the American educational system. In 1868 they sought compulsory school attendance for all children until the age of 14 and devoted themselves to the promotion of German gymnastics in American public schools.
Constant expansion of activities in the Turners led to the decision to move uptown from Orchard Street. In April 1895, the land on the southeast corner of East 85th Street and Lexington Avenue was purchased, and a new building was dedicated on November 30, 1898.
The Mount Vernon Turners moved into their own building to accommodate the expanding membership at 10th and Stephen Avenue. Ten years later an addition to the gym and clubhouse was dedicated.
Disaster struck as the Society was preparing to celebrate its 25th Anniversary when fire completely destroyed the Turner building on January 22, 1916. With unprecedented speed, a new facility was designed for the original site; cornerstone was laid in July 1916 and the building dedicated one year after the devastating fire. Competitions were held with the District Turner Societies including NYTV, Long Island and Brooklyn rotating the domicile of the event. Teams were sent to National Turner festivals led by excellent physical education instructors.
In the beginning of 1921, the Bronx Turner society, Woodstock merged into Mount Vernon.
In July 1921, a group of members organized the New York Turner Club to provide a summer beachfront home in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx.
The years following World War 1 saw the development of high-grade gymnasts at the NYTV. Among them were Kurt Rottman and Adolph Zink; both were on the 1924 U.S. Olympic team. Adeline Gehrig, a superb fencer, was also on that team.
NYTV continued to send gymnasts to the Olympics: Los Angeles 1932, Fred Meyer and George Gulack, and F. Kanis as gymnastic coach; Berlin Olympiad 1936, Fred Meyer and Mary Wright.
World War ll was a period of membership decline and curtailment of activities. There were 84 men and one woman in the military services for the conflict. All veterans returned, despite considerable combat experience.
The 1948 Olympics in London saw Anita Simmonis and Vincent D’Autorio on the gymnastic teams and our distinguished gymnastic instructor, Henry Schroeder, as a gymnastic judge. D’Autorio competed in the 1952 Helsinki games as well as did Ruth Lehle Topalian.
In 1964, at the 18th Olympiad in Tokyo, volleyball was an event and Turner Ernie Suwara, Jr., was a member of the U.S. Volleyball Team. In 1968 his brother, Rudy, was named captain of the Olympic U.S. Volleyball Team.
Volunteers completed a total renovation of the Rathskeller. Ongoing problems with the physical plant placed great demands on the dedicated membership.
In late 1977, preliminary talks got underway to consolidate the Mount Vernon Turners with the New York Turners.
The Mount Vernon Turners was founded on January 28, 1891 when Mount Vernon was still a village. They immediately opened a school of physical education on High Street in rented facilities.
Whereas talks about consolidation of Mount Vernon with New York had started some years before, it didn’t become a reality until 1983.
On July 14th, the formal merger of the New York Turner and the Mount Vernon Turners was consummated, and the merged societies adopted the name American Turners New York.
Building committee meetings were held to plan a new building at the summer site of the New York Turner in which they acquired in 1921.
Construction of the present building began, and the existing building was demolished. Adjacent to club was the Morrisania Yacht Club. They sold us their parcel of land, and their building was also taken down. Their members were accepted into American Turners New York.
On January 1st, the members of the New York Turner Club formally joined the American Turners New York. In June, our new building and grounds were opened, and the results of endless hours of planning by a dedicated group of Turners lead by Turner Peter A. Rohlf became a reality.
On September 7th a formal dedication of the building was held with several hundred members and guests in attendance.
A committee was formed to plan and build a pier jotting into Eastchester Bay.
A committee was formed to complete a survey and plan the configuration of a nearly Olympic size pool.
The construction of our new pier became reality. The pool, 62 feet long and 30 feet wide, and a wading pool were opened on June 23rd.
In the large gymnasium, various physical activities were conducted. Gymnastics with various gym equipment in the early years by Turn Lehrer Henry Schroder, when he retired by Irene Luparelli, thereafter in 2005 by Irme Maloni assisted by Louise Horn and Inge Trampler. These faithful Turners retired and ended gym classes in December of 2019. Classes have not yet resumed.
In the new century, a large group of talented young and senior volleyball players were members and enjoyed the club. We even had a senior Ladies volleyball group. Our top Men’s team was exceptional. They were winners of the 1999 National BB Volleyball Gold Division Championship held in San Jose California. Several of them remained members and played at the club as seniors for more than 15 years.
The National American Turners membership approximates 13,000. Its Societies have dropped their political engagement but they still promote not only health and physical education through their programs, but also cultural projects, urging their members “to exercise the right of independent thought and action through the ballot and to follow the dictates of their conscience in religious matters.” Although the American Turners have lost their influence on physical education in public schools, they are very proud to be among the first to have introduced physical education to American public schools.