Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund

The Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund e. V. (NTB) is a German regional sports federation based in Hannover, Lower Saxony. It is the largest sports specialist federation within the LandesSportBund Niedersachsen and the largest regional gymnastics federation within the Deutscher Turner-Bund (German Gymnastics Federation). According to its official website, the NTB serves almost 2,800 member clubs in which around 840,000 people are physically active. Wikipedia reports over 780,000 members, roughly 50,000 instructors and volunteer decision-makers across 2,850 clubs and 45 gymnastics districts (Turnkreise). The NTB describes itself as the federation for "lifelong movement development" (lebensbegleitende Bewegungsentwicklung) and as a service community for its member clubs. Its activities span a wide range of gymnastics and movement sports, from apparatus gymnastics and orienteering to turnspiele such as Indiaca. A central focus is Kinderturnen (children's gymnastics), described as the "nursery of sport," which lays the motor foundations for lifelong physical activity. The NTB also develops offerings in the GYMWELT area, including fitness and health sports, dance, performance groups, movement arts, and outdoor sports. Children, women, and older adults make up about 80 percent of its membership. The federation organizes major public events, including the Erlebnis Turnfest (formerly Landesturnfest), the Feuerwerk der Turnkunst, Feuerwerk der Turnkunst | on stage, the Rendezvous der Besten show-group competition, the NTB-Kongress, and the Kinderturn-Show. It has also hosted international events such as the Aerobic World Championships 1999, the Trampoline World Championships 2003, and the Faustball World Championships 2007. The NTB maintains several institutions: a head office in Hannover, the Landesturnschule Melle (state gymnastics school), a youth education center on Baltrum, the Turn- und Sportfördergesellschaft (TSF) marketing agency, the Schule für Sport, Gesundheit & Bildung in Melle, the Niedersächsische Kinderturnstiftung (founded 2013), and the Niedersächsische Turnjugend (NTJ), its youth organization. The NTB was founded in 1947 as the Turnverband Niedersachsen and renamed Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund in 1958. It is a registered association (e. V.) and operates as a non-profit sports federation. Its leadership includes Marcus Trienen (Speaker of the Management Board / Managing Director for Federation Development) and Olaf Jähner (Managing Director for Club Development). The federation cooperates with media, kindergartens, schools, universities, social institutions, sports-political bodies, ministries, and companies.

The Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund (NTB) traces its origins to the post-World War II reorganization of gymnastics in the British occupation zone. On 14 August 1946, Carl Körner, head gymnastics instructor (Oberturnwart) of the Turn-Klubb zu Hannover and gymnastics section leader in the Hannover sports district, sent a circular to gymnasts already active in the districts, urging them to take the initiative for a "collection of gymnastics clubs." Preparatory work took time, as each district was to form a complete "gymnastics specialist committee." Contacts were strengthened at a preparatory meeting on 11 December 1946 in Minden/Westphalia under the chairmanship of Hugo Grömmer, secretary of the zone sports council. Two representatives each from Lower Saxony (Albert Lepa, Hannover, and Oscar Drees, Bremen), Hamburg-Nordmark (Gerd Steen and Bernhard Bauer), Rhineland (Fritz Brodowski and Walter Gleffe, Essen), and Westphalia (Eugen Eichhoff, Lüdenscheid, and Julius Überhoff, Hamm) were appointed to a working committee. They prepared the ground for a further meeting on 20 January 1947 in Hamm, where a "zone gymnastics committee" (Zonenturnausschuss) was founded. Fritz Brodowski was unanimously elected its leader, with Julius Überhoff as deputy, Walter Gleffe as secretary and treasurer, and Carl Körner as assessor for Lower Saxony. The Northeim meeting in September 1947 brought a streamlining of gymnastics organization, especially for the Lower Saxony region. In the districts and counties, gymnastics had recovered enough that Carl Körner could initiate the final transformation of the provisional gymnastics committee into the "Turnverband Niedersachsen" on 24 October 1947 in the Fürstenzimmer of the Bahnhofsgaststätten in Hannover. 120 delegates unanimously approved the founding of an independent state gymnastics federation by rising from their seats. In 1958, by resolution of the Turntag, the organization was renamed "Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund." Since 1950, the NTB has organized the Landesturnfest, today called Erlebnis Turnfest. It is the largest mass-participation sports event in northern Germany, welcoming up to about 300,000 visitors and 20,000 active participants in the host city. Over the decades, the NTB has expanded its activities and institutions. It established the Landesturnschule Melle as its central training and further education facility, a youth education center on Baltrum, and the Turn- und Sportfördergesellschaft (TSF) as its central marketing agency. In September 2014, the Schule für Sport, Gesundheit & Bildung in Melle began offering a three-year training program to become a certified movement educator for sport and gymnastics teachers. In 2013, the NTB initiated the Niedersächsische Kinderturnstiftung to promote children's physical activity beyond the obligations of organized sports. The Niedersächsische Turnerjugend (NTJ), the self-governed children's and youth organization of the NTB, was renamed from "Niedersächsische Turnerjugend" to "Niedersächsische Turnjugend" on 8 November 2025 at the Landesturntag in Braunschweig. The NTB has hosted numerous major events, including the Internationale Messe-Cup, the Group Masters in rhythmic gymnastics, the gymnastics musical TABEA, the Aerobic World Championships 1999, the Trampoline World Championships 2003, the Faustball World Championships 2007, and the children's gymnastics musical Sternenland in Kinderhand. Today, the NTB is the largest sports specialist federation in the LandesSportBund Niedersachsen and the largest regional gymnastics federation in the Deutscher Turner-Bund, with almost 2,800 member clubs and around 840,000 active people.

• Carl Körner sends a circular urging the collection of gymnastics clubs in the districts.

• Preparatory meeting in Minden/Westphalia under Hugo Grömmer; working committee appointed.

• Founding of the Zonenturnausschuss (zone gymnastics committee) in Hamm.

• Northeim meeting streamlines gymnastics organization in Lower Saxony.

• Founding of the independent Turnverband Niedersachsen in Hannover; 120 delegates unanimously approve.

• First Landesturnfest organized by the NTB.

• Renamed Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund by resolution of the Turntag.

• Hosted the Aerobic World Championships.

• Hosted the Trampoline World Championships.

• Hosted the Faustball World Championships.

• Initiated the Niedersächsische Kinderturnstiftung.

• Schule für Sport, Gesundheit & Bildung in Melle begins training program.

• Niedersächsische Turnerjugend renamed Niedersächsische Turnjugend at Landesturntag in Braunschweig.

The largest sports federation in Lower Saxony and the largest regional gymnastics federation in Germany, focused on lifelong movement development and serving member clubs.

• Kinderturnen

  Children's gymnastics, described as the nursery of sport, laying motor foundations.

• Geräteturnen

  Apparatus gymnastics, a core sport of the federation.

• GYMWELT

  Fitness and health sports, dance, performance groups, movement arts, and outdoor sports.

• Turnspiele

  Includes Indiaca and other turnspiele.

• Orientierungslauf

  Orienteering as part of the movement offering.

1. 1Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund - Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund (NTB)ntbwelt.de
2. 2Geschichte - Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund (NTB)ntbwelt.de
3. 3Wir über uns - Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund (NTB)ntbwelt.de
4. 4Mitarbeitende - Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund (NTB)ntbwelt.de
5. 5Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Niedersächsischer Turner-Bund - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org