The Turnbewegung, rooted in the visionary Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, transcended mere athletic pursuits by incorporating political, civic, and national dimensions. With the effects of the Napoleonic wars in mind, Jahn promoted the idea of a strong Germany with a resilient and defensible people by physical fitness. He played a pivotal role in popularizing gymnastics as a means of physical education and fostering nationalistic sentiments in early 19th-century Germany, and he established the first gymnastics arena in Berlin in 1811, emphasizing the holistic development of the individual through physical fitness and patriotic nationalist ideals.
Preamble
From 1811 to about 1840 marks the first period of building the Deutsche Turnerschaft from vision to realization. Gymnast clubs are formed throughout Germany, and ideas about unifying them take shape. 1840 to about 1860 marks the period that saw the numerous Turnerschaft clubs become not only about sports, but also about politics. The symbol known as “4F” became widely used by the gymnast clubs. The 4 F’s relate to Jahn’s keywords: Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich und Frei.…
