The Northwest Davenport Turner Society Hall is a historic building located in the old northwest side of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979. The Northwest Davenport Turner Society Hall is significant for its association with Davenport's German community, which was the city's largest and most influential immigrant group. It also played an important role in the civic and cultural life of the northwest Davenport German community. History Turners Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778–1852) was a teacher in Berlin who started outdoor physical education classes in 1811. His twin goals were to promote physical fitness and German nationalism. Over the next three decades gymnastic societies known as Turnvereins opened in many German cities. Their members were known as “Turners”, the German word for gymnasts. The societies also served as gathering places for people who desired democratic reforms in the governments of the various German states. They supported the revolution that began in 1848 and when it failed they fled to the United States, and many came to Davenport. The Turners in Davenport Among those who came to Davenport were Theodor Gülich and Christian Müller, and their arrival led to the foundation of the Turner society in the city in 1852. Gülich's father and grandfather were active in the Schleswig-Holstein movement prior to the rebellion. He stated in 1854 at the Turner's first large public event that the local society would fight against nativism and the domination of the church. It would also work to promote freedom, education and well-being for all people. The early Turner's in Davenport took a progressive stand on social issues such as women's rights. They were also promoters of the German Free School Society in Davenport. Many of the early members also had a desire to return to the German states to continue the revolutionary struggle. Initially, the local Turner society was called the Sozialistischer Turnverein (Socialistic Turner Society). While they were harsh critics of American society, they strove to be good Americans. They expected any potential member to become an American citizen before joining. They also participated in the annual Fourth of July celebrations. At the centennial celebration in 1876, however, they stayed true to their anticlerical convictions and left the procession when a prayer was added to the festivities. As time went on, however, their radical attitudes subsided and they gradually abandoned their hopes of