The German Turners and the Taming of Radicalism in Chicago [1]

Bibliographic Data

ID12220197
AuthorsGerald R Gems (North Central College, corresponding author), Gerald Gems
Year2009
Volume26
Issue13
Pages1926-1945
Publication date2009-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe International Journal of the History of Sport (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0952-3367 • E-ISSN: 1743-9035
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09523360903148689
OpenAlexW2093828168
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited9

The German Turner movement, a nationalistic gymnastic enterprise, migrated to the United States in the aftermath of the failed revolution of 1848. It quickly took hold in American cities with sizable German populations. Many German Turners espoused liberal philosophies, including Marxist, socialist and anarchist sympathies in their political views. They assumed leadership roles in politics, education and the labour movement; but those radical sympathies dissipated over time in the United States. This case study of Chicago, the centre of the American labour movement and a bastion of Turnerism in the United States, examines and analyzes the transition of Turner ideology and practice, from initial radicalism to incorporation within the mainstream political system, and from a focus on gymnastics to adoption of American sport forms. That transition occurred rather rapidly, largely over a period of two generations, by which time American Turners admitted that they had little in common with their European brethren. The article offers insights into the complex nature of sport, ideology and practice within the process of cultural flow

German · Ideology · Mainstream · Marxist philosophy · Political economy · Political radicalism · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Doping in Sports · Gender Studies · History · Law · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports, Gender, and Society

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