Grand Landlodge of the Freemasons of Germany
[1] The Grand Lodge was established in 1770 by Johann Wilhelm Kellner von Zinnendorf, a Prussian Army physician.
The Grand Landlodge of the Freemasons of Germany works according to a slightly modified version of the Swedish Rite.
Rationality and conscience, inner freedom and self-knowledge as well as being conscious of one's responsibilities are regarded as the necessary means by which one can approach the finding of the origin, character and destiny of mankind and the whole of existence.
The Grand Landlodge of the Freemasons of Germany is divided into three branches: - apart from this, there is also a High Chapter for the holders of the XIth degree of Knight Commander with some 70 members.
[3] The conjunction of these branches forms a cohesive masonic body that closely follows that of the Swedish Rite, which is predominantly found in Scandinavian countries.
In the course of the last years individual lodges have been established in Lome/Togo, Riga/Latvia and Monaco, of which only the first one in Lome is still a member of the Grand Landlodge.
In the 1760s resentment was growing against the rituals of that Order, which were regarded as lacking in content and overly pompous, as well as the Strict Observance's "economical plan".
After that, Kellner von Zinnendorf tried, through the help of a friend of his, to gain a patent and rituals from Karl Friedrich Eckleff in Sweden.
At this point, he was still acting in accordance with the Army Master (Heermeister) of the Strict Observance, who was informed of his actions.
[4] Only a friend of Kellner von Zinnendorf's called Baumann finally managed to gain Eckleff's trust.
On 14 September 1766 he returned to Berlin carrying a personal letter from Eckleff to Kellner von Zinnendorf, containing the ritual files, a charter permitting the establishment of Lodges abiding by the Swedish Rite, instructions for the Master of the Order and directions for the establishment of a Chapter.
On 16 December 1766, Kellner von Zinnendorf left the Strict Observance and spent his time concentrating on the establishment of a new Grand Lodge.
[5] During this time, Baumann's files were translated into German and several Lodges, working according to the new ritual, were founded in the Berlin area.
Following the establishment, Kellner von Zinnendorf was anxious to get on good terms with the Grand Lodge in London.
There an unsteady agreement was achieved, ending long lasting conflict between the two rites that had been raging since Kellner von Zinnendorf left the Strict Observance in 1766.
In 1872 Adolf Widmann founded the Zirkelkorrespondenz, a masonic magazine, which is still published today and distributed among the members of the Grand Landlodge.
The aprons were abolished, Solomon's Temple was changed to the "German Cathedral" or Strasbourg Cathedral, all parts of the ritual referring to or drawing from the Old Testament were done away with and the legend of Hiram Abiff replaced by the ancient Germanic legend of Baldr.
Years of Nazi propaganda had stylized Freemasonry to a form of abstract hate symbol similar to the Jews.
[12] In the spring of 1935, the Grand Lodge of Prussia, called "Zur Freundschaft", tried to find a solution for the situation.
Their most prominent member, the Reich Minister Hjalmar Schacht was sent to talk to Hitler and found out that a dissolution of German Freemasonry was inevitable.
The money gained from selling the old property, together with donations from the Landlodge's members, served to buy the new, albeit smaller, "House of the Order".
