Where is the center for German traditions in Sacramento? It’s right here, at the Turn Verein, where folks with German ancestry and people with an interest in German culture congregate – to socialize, to study German, to party, to exercise, and to carry on some old German traditions – like Oktoberfest, Karneval, Erntedankfest, Bockbierfest, and other fun events. Many drive past this building at 3349 J Street, curious to know what those German words “Turn Verein,” mean. Many are surprised to learn that they mean “Gymnastic Club.”

It all started in the early 1800s at a time when the many small German states in Europe started moving toward liberation and unification. Promoters of democratic reforms began training in vigorous physical exercise (referred to as “patriotic gymnastics”) as a means toward that end. Thus the Turn Verein movement grew – and spread to America.

The German nation was finally born in 1871. The Sacramento Turn Verein, founded in 1854, is the oldest still-active institution in our great city.

Germany to host new missile defense system headquarters
The Ramstein Air Base is going to become the operational center of the new NATO missile defense system. Politicians and experts in both Europe and the US are supportive of the idea.

Germany plans special court to try soldiers
German soldiers are tried under civil, not military law. Now, the government plans to set up a central court for the prosecution of German soldiers, especially for cases related to military conflicts abroad.

Muslim arbitration in Germany
Mediating disputes is an age-old tradition in the Arab world, which is also practiced in Germany. But experts warn of the danger of a parallel, Muslim judiciary.

Suspected associate of neo-Nazi group arrested
Another man has been arrested in Germany, accused of having ties to the neo-Nazi terror group known as the National Socialist Underground.

Parliament sets up inquiry into failure to detect neo-Nazi killers
German lawmakers have established two parliamentary committees to look into security shortcomings that allowed a murderous neo-Nazi cell to evade detection for more than a decade.

Germany pays compensation to victims of neo-Nazi cell
Germany has begun making payments to victims of crimes attributed to a neo-Nazi cell uncovered in November. With a large stack of applications, the government says it hopes to approve them in an non-bureaucratic way.

Germany to hire more immigrants into civil service
Immigrants are far under-represented in Germany's public sector - a fact which Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she wants to change, after leading a national integration summit in Berlin.

Fifth German integration summit gets under way
On Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel will host the fifth integration summit, bringing together politicians and representatives of immigrant groups and organizations. So what have the first four summits achieved so far?

Finding work as an immigrant is not always easy
Many people who decide to move to a foreign country go in search of new opportunities. But what options can immigrants looking for work in Germany expect?

Home • Events • Hall Rental • Sections • History • Contact Us • Search