Note 219 — Chapter XXI · THE FIRST INTRODUCTION OF THE JAHN GYMNASTICS INTO AMERICA.

Voelker, born about 1796, was according to his own story a pupil of Jahn’s and had served among the volunteers in the War of Liberation. As a student at the University of Jena he assisted in organizing the first Burschenschaft, became one of its directors, and exercised on the Jena Turnplatz. In September of 1818 he went to Tübingen, at the request of a delegation of students from its university, to help them start a Burschenschaft and open a Turnplatz (see p. 98). In the course of the investigation that followed the murder of Kotzebue by Sand the government of Württemberg was asked to surrender Voelker for arrest as a suspected accomplice. This was refused, but so much pressure was at length brought to bear that in order to save the ministry further embarrassment he crossed into Switzerland. Some years later he arrived in London, bearing letters of recommendation to Jeremy Bentham and Henry Brougham (later Lord Chancellor). Apparently in the spring or early summer of 1825, after three months’ study of the English language, he opened with Bentham’s help a garden Turnplatz at No. 1 Union Place, New Road, near Regent’s Park, at the same time receiving pupils in German. Later in the same season he rented Mr. Fontaine’s riding-school on Worship Street, Finsbury Square, using this also as a gymnasium. He afterwards returned to Switzerland, and lived there until his death at Kappel, in St. Gall, October 2, 1884. The fullest account of Voelker’s life is that by Eduard Dürre (“Rückblicke und Träume eines alten Turners”) in the Deutsche Turn-Zeitung for 1872 (17, pp. 103-107, 127-129, 136 and 137). See also Neue Jahrbücher für die Turnkunst for 1881, p. 72, and 1885, p. 43. On the London gymnasium consult the American Journal of Education, 1 (1826), pp. 375, 430-432, 502-506, 625 and 626; and 2 (1827), pp. 55 and 56. Volume 1 of “The Every-Day Book” by William Hone (London, 1826) contains under date of September 25 (1825) some additional particulars, and a drawing made for this article “by Mr. George Cruikshank, after his personal observation of Mr. Voelker’s gymnasium in the New-road.”