Turner Hall: A National Historic Landmark in Milwaukee

In Milwaukee, one building stands out for its historic ties - Turner Hall. It is easier to understand the building if we know what Turner means. In Germany, 'Turnen' was a movement promoting health and freedom, founded in 1811 by Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, a man who wanted to inspire harmonious development of mind and body, and in so doing, react against the French dominance during the Napoleonic Wars. This ideal reached Milwaukee in the 1850s.

One of the largest and most distinctive surviving buildings associated with the Turner movement, Turner Hall was designed by architect Henry C. Koch and was completed in 1882, with an addition in 1899. The interior includes a ballroom, restaurant and beer hall, and meeting rooms. It is now used as a performance and meeting venue.

The Turner Society in Milwaukee, originally founded in 1853, grew by the 1880s and needed a new meeting hall. In recognition of its historic and cultural significance, Turner Hall was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1996.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons