In May 1931, Henlein was elected president of the "Turnerband", which increased his profile in the Sudeten community. Under his leadership, the supposedly apolitical "Turnerband" become more overtly "völkisch" and decidedly militaristic as the purpose of the "Turnerband" now become to indoctrinate its members with the "spirit of the heroic German front-line soldier". In July 1933, Henlein staged a festival in Saaz (modern Žatec, Czech Republic) where before 50,000 guests, some 20,000 "Turnerband" members performed a carefully choreographed display of uniformity as they all marched together while Henlein in his speech proclaimed the "Turnerband" was now the "educational body of the Sudeten Germans".