- 6 weeks ago
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00The Grand Orient de France, founded in 1773, is the oldest and largest Masonic body in continental Europe.
00:08It distinguished itself by rejecting the obligation of belief in a supreme being, which separated it from the Anglo-Saxon model of Freemasonry.
00:17During the 19th century, it became deeply entwined with French republicanism, anti-clerical politics, and secular education reforms, making it both influential and controversial.
00:27When Marshal Philippe Pétain established the Vichy regime in 1940, Freemasonry was explicitly targeted as a subversive, anti-Catholic, and anti-state force.
00:38Vichy authorities banned all Masonic lodges, seized their meeting places, confiscated archives, and published membership lists to stigmatize affiliates.
00:47This persecution was aligned with Nazi anti-Masonic ideology, which associated Masonry with liberalism, Jewish influence, and resistance networks.
00:55Many members of the Grand Orient were arrested, imprisoned, or executed, while others joined the French resistance.
01:02The suppression nearly destroyed its organizational structure, but after the liberation of France in 1944, the Grand Orient resumed activity, rebuilt its lodges, and reasserted its place as a leading force in European Freemasonry.
01:16The United Grand Lodge of England, UGLE, established in 1717, is considered the mother lodge of modern Freemasonry.
01:24Within England itself, it was never formally banned, even during World War II, but its members and overseas branches were directly affected by Nazi expansion across Europe.
01:35Adolf Hitler's regime identified Freemasonry as a hostile organization tied to liberal democracy, international finance, and alleged Jewish conspiracies.
01:43As German forces occupied territories across Europe, Masonic lodges connected to or recognized by the UGLE were dismantled, their properties confiscated, and records seized.
01:56Nazi propaganda exhibitions, such as the 1937 Anti-Masonic Exhibition in Munich, displayed artifacts taken from English-affiliated lodges, portraying them as enemies of the Reich.
02:07Members who were identified as Freemasons risked imprisonment, forced labor, or deportation to concentration camps, where wearing the Red Triangle or other identifying insignia marked them for persecution.
02:19While the central UGLE in London survived the war intact, its European branches suffered devastating losses, and its members abroad faced severe repression until Allied victory restored their freedom to meet.
02:32The Grand Lodge of Austria, officially founded in 1914, represented a continuation of Masonic traditions that had existed in the region since the 18th century.
02:42Austrian Freemasonry developed a distinct cultural identity, influenced by Central European intellectual and artistic circles.
02:50However, when Adolf Hitler annexed Austria in the 1938 Anschluss, the Nazis quickly outlawed Freemasonry.
02:58They regarded it as part of an international conspiracy alongside Jews and liberal politicians.
03:04The Grand Lodge of Austria was dissolved, its properties and temples confiscated, and its archives seized for use in Nazi propaganda.
03:12Members of the fraternity were investigated, harassed, and many faced imprisonment or exile.
03:18Masonic artifacts from Austria were displayed in anti-Masonic exhibitions organized by the Reich to demonstrate alleged secret threats against the German people.
03:27The repression destroyed most of the organizational structure of Austrian masonry.
03:31After World War II in 1952, the Grand Lodge of Austria was formally reconstituted, rebuilding from scattered survivors and restoring its lodges in Vienna and beyond.
03:42Germany had multiple Masonic obediences before the rise of Adolf Hitler, including the Grand Lodge of Prussia, known as the Three Globes, and other regional Grand Lodges that traced their origins to the early 18th century.
03:54Collectively, German Freemasonry was diverse, with some lodges more aristocratic and Christian-oriented, while others were liberal and cosmopolitan.
04:03When the Nazis came to power in 1933, all forms of Freemasonry were declared incompatible with national socialist ideology.
04:11Hitler and his propagandists labeled lodges as part of a Jewish-Masonic conspiracy, tying them to communism, liberalism, and international finance.
04:20The German Grand Lodges attempted various survival strategies.
04:24Some tried to distance themselves from liberal Masonry by emphasizing Christian values and nationalism.
04:29But these concessions failed.
04:32By 1935, the Nazi government ordered the complete dissolution of Freemasonry in Germany.
04:37Lodge properties were seized, archives were confiscated, and artifacts were displayed in anti-Masonic exhibitions to indoctrinate the public.
04:45Many members were monitored by the Gestapo, with some arrested and sent to concentration camps, where they were marked with red triangles as political prisoners.
04:54The once-strong Masonic presence in Germany was effectively wiped out until after World War II, when surviving brothers rebuilt under Allied protection.
05:02Freemasonry in Spain dates back to the 18th century, and by the early 20th century, the Grand Lodge of Spain and the Grand Orient of Spain were active, often linked to liberal, republican, and secular movements.
05:15This association made Spanish Masonry a target during the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939.
05:22General Francisco Franco, a staunch Catholic nationalist, identified Freemasons alongside Communists as enemies of his regime.
05:30In 1940, he enacted the Law for the Repression of Masonry and Communism, which made membership in a Lodge a criminal offense.
05:38Masonic temples were confiscated or destroyed, and archives were seized to identify members.
05:44Thousands of Freemasons were imprisoned, exiled, or executed.
05:48Franco himself frequently blamed Freemasonry in his speeches, presenting it as part of a global conspiracy undermining Spain's Catholic and nationalist identity.
05:57The persecution drove the Grand Lodge underground, forcing surviving brothers into secrecy or exile, with many continuing their activities abroad in Latin America and France.
06:08Freemasonry in Spain remained banned throughout Franco's dictatorship, lasting until his death in 1975.
06:14Only in 1979, after Spain's democratic transition, was the Grand Lodge of Spain officially re-established, marking the return of open Masonic activity after four decades of suppression.
06:25Hungarian Freemasonry developed strongly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the Grand Lodge of Hungary established in 1886.
06:35Lodges were active in Budapest and other major cities, often tied to intellectual, liberal, and reformist circles.
06:41However, Freemasonry's influence was viewed with suspicion by authoritarian regimes that rose during the 20th century.
06:48The first blow came in 1920, after Hungary's short-lived Soviet Republic.
06:53The new government imposed restrictions, and by the late 1930s, right-wing nationalist forces were openly hostile to Masonic organizations.
07:01After World War II, when Hungary fell under Soviet control, Freemasonry was completely outlawed.
07:07In 1950, the Communist regime banned the Grand Lodge of Hungary, labeling it a bourgeois and subversive society, incompatible with socialist ideology.
07:16Lodge properties were seized, and members faced pressure, surveillance, and persecution.
07:22For decades, Hungarian Freemasonry survived only in exile, particularly in Western Europe and the United States.
07:29It was not until the collapse of communist rule in 1989 that the Grand Lodge of Hungary was reconstituted.
07:35Today, it operates openly again, but its legacy still carries the memory of decades of suppression under totalitarian regimes.
07:43Freemasonry in Cuba has deep roots, with the Grand Lodge of Cuba officially founded in 1859.
07:50Unlike in many Latin American nations, Cuban Masonry became extremely influential,
07:55counting intellectuals, politicians, and even independence leaders like José Martà among its supporters.
08:02By the mid-20th century, the fraternity was well-established with thousands of members across the island.
08:07The turning point came with Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution.
08:11At first, Freemasonry was not completely outlawed, since the government distinguished it from openly religious institutions,
08:18but it was treated with suspicion.
08:20The new Marxist-Leninist regime considered Lodges centers of bourgeois influence and potential opposition.
08:27Masonic leaders faced harassment, surveillance, and infiltration by state security.
08:31Many Lodges lost property and funding as the government nationalized assets.
08:36Members who openly opposed the revolution risked imprisonment or exile,
08:40and a large portion of the fraternity's strength shifted abroad, especially to the United States,
08:44where Cuban Freemasons in exile kept the tradition alive.
08:48Although the Grand Lodge of Cuba still exists today and was never fully dissolved,
08:53it has operated under strict state control since the 1960s.
08:56Its autonomy and influence have been heavily reduced compared to its pre-revolutionary prominence,
09:02making it one of the most monitored Masonic bodies in the world.
09:05Freemasonry in Russia had existed since the 18th century,
09:08with Lodges attracting intellectuals, nobles, and reform-minded elites.
09:13The movement gained strength during the Enlightenment,
09:15but was repeatedly suppressed by czars who feared its liberal and cosmopolitan influence.
09:20After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the situation worsened dramatically.
09:24The Bolsheviks regarded Freemasonry as a bourgeois and counter-revolutionary organization
09:30tied to Western powers and capitalist elites.
09:34By the early 1920s, Masonic activity was banned outright under Soviet law.
09:38Lodges were dismantled, properties confiscated, and members forced into secrecy or exile.
09:44Many Freemasons fled abroad, continuing their work in Paris, London, and New York,
09:48while others within the USSR faced persecution, imprisonment, or execution under Stalin's purges.
09:55For nearly seven decades, no official Masonic presence existed in Soviet territory.
10:00It was only after the collapse of the USSR in 1991 that the Grand Lodge of Russia was formally re-established,
10:07reconnecting with international Masonic bodies.
10:09However, its long absence meant that Russian Freemasonry had to rebuild from almost nothing,
10:14carrying the memory of one of the longest and most complete bans in Masonic history.
10:19Freemasonry in the Ottoman Empire had a long but precarious history, often tied to reformist
10:25and nationalist movements.
10:26After the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, the Grand Lodge of Turkey emerged
10:32as a continuation of this tradition.
10:34However, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's government, while modernizing and secular, viewed Freemasonry
10:40with suspicion, partly because of its links to political opposition groups and perceived
10:44foreign influence.
10:45In 1935, the Turkish government officially banned Masonic lodges, dissolving the Grand
10:51Lodge and confiscating property.
10:53This suppression lasted until 1948, when Turkey's gradual liberalization allowed the Grand Lodge
10:59to reconstitute.
11:00Yet political instability continued to threaten it.
11:03During the military coups of the 1960s and 1970s, Freemasonry again came under scrutiny, with
11:09lodges forced into secrecy or temporarily suspended.
11:13Anti-Masonic propaganda in Turkey frequently tied the fraternity to Zionism, Western imperialism,
11:19or hidden political agendas, fueling public hostility.
11:23Despite these repeated waves of suppression, Turkish Freemasonry managed to survive.
11:27Today, the Grand Lodge of Turkey exists openly, but its history remains marked by cycles of bans,
11:34persecution, and revival under changing regimes.
11:36Polish Freemasonry flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries, often tied to intellectual and
11:42independence movements, during a time when Poland was partitioned by neighboring empires.
11:47The Grand Lodge of Poland was formally active by the early 20th century, but its survival was
11:53short-lived.
11:54When Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Freemasonry was immediately outlawed.
11:59Lodges were closed, archives seized, and many Polish Freemasons were imprisoned or executed
12:05in concentration camps.
12:07The Nazis portrayed masonry as a branch of the Jewish-Bolshevik conspiracy, making it a
12:11direct enemy of the Reich.
12:13After World War II, Poland fell under Soviet influence, and the communist regime maintained
12:18the ban.
12:19In 1947, the new authorities officially dissolved the Grand Lodge of Poland, branding it a reactionary
12:25and bourgeois organization.
12:27For decades, Masonic activity was forced underground or into exile, with Polish lodges operating abroad
12:33in France and the UK.
12:34It was not until the fall of communism in 1991 that the Grand Lodge of Poland was re-established
12:41inside the country.
12:42Today, it operates legally again, but its legacy reflects a history of double persecution, first
12:48by the Nazis, then by the Soviets.
12:50The Grand Lodge of Czechoslovakia was founded in 1923, shortly after the nation itself was
12:56created following World War I.
12:58From the beginning, Czech and Slovak Freemasonry leaned toward liberal, democratic, and intellectual
13:03ideals, attracting politicians, artists, and reformers.
13:07This made it a target for authoritarian regimes on both ends of the political spectrum.
13:12When Nazi Germany occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939, the Grand Lodge was banned, lodges were
13:18dissolved, and Masonic property was confiscated.
13:21Members were persecuted, with many arrested or deported to concentration camps.
13:25Nazi propaganda portrayed Czechoslovak Freemasonry as part of an international Jewish conspiracy,
13:31threatening the Reich.
13:32After the war, the fraternity briefly resurfaced, but by 1951, the new communist regime suppressed
13:38it again.
13:39Authorities labeled Freemasonry a bourgeois and reactionary society incompatible with socialist
13:44ideology.
13:45Lodges were shut down, and members faced harassment, surveillance, or exile.
13:50For nearly four decades, Freemasonry in Czechoslovakia was forced underground.
13:54It was only after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 that the Grand Lodge of Czechoslovakia was restored.
14:00In 1993, following the peaceful split of the country, separate Masonic bodies were reconstituted
14:05in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, reviving a tradition nearly destroyed by totalitarian regimes.
14:11Freemasonry in Romania gained strength in the 18th and 19th centuries, often tied to intellectual
14:17elites and national independence movements.
14:20By the early 20th century, the Grand Lodge of Romania was established and active, playing
14:25a role in cultural and political life.
14:27However, its liberal and democratic values soon placed it in conflict with authoritarian powers.
14:32During World War II, under the pro-Axis dictatorship of Ion Antonescu, Freemasonry was already under
14:39pressure.
14:39But its greatest persecution came after the Soviet occupation and the communist takeover in
14:441947.
14:46The new regime branded Masonry as a bourgeois conspiracy, aligned with Western imperialism.
14:51In 1948, the Grand Lodge of Romania was formally banned.
14:56Lodge buildings were seized, archives confiscated, and members placed under surveillance or imprisoned.
15:00For over four decades, Romanian Freemasonry existed only in exile, with many continuing their
15:06activities abroad, particularly in France and Italy.
15:10Following the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, Freemasonry was revived.
15:15The Grand Lodge of Romania was reconstituted, regaining official recognition and rebuilding its
15:20institutions.
15:21Today it operates legally once again, but its history remains defined by decades of forced silence
15:27under communist rule.
15:28Freemasonry in Greece dates back to the late 18th century, with lodges founded in the Ionian
15:33islands and later spreading to the mainland.
15:36By the 20th century, the Grand Lodge of Greece was firmly established and maintained international
15:41recognition.
15:42However, its liberal and democratic character often put it at odds with authoritarian rulers.
15:48The most significant persecution occurred during the regime of the colonels, 1967-1974, when
15:54a right-wing military junta seized power.
15:56The dictatorship considered Freemasonry a suspicious and potentially subversive organization tied to
16:02foreign influence and liberal politics.
16:04In 1967, the junta banned Masonic activity, dissolved lodges, and confiscated properties.
16:10Members were subjected to surveillance, harassment, and pressure to renounce their affiliation.
16:16Although the Grand Lodge of Greece survived symbolically through its networks abroad,
16:20within the country, it was forced into silence for the duration of the dictatorship.
16:25Only after the restoration of democracy in 1974 was Freemasonry openly revived.
16:30Today, the Grand Lodge of Greece operates legally again, but its history reflects how authoritarian
16:35regimes, whether far-right or far-left, consistently treated Masonry as a threat to state power.
16:42Freemasonry in Bulgaria took root in the late 19th century, after the country gained independence
16:47from Ottoman rule. Intellectuals, reformers, and political figures joined lodges, which became
16:53associated with modernization and liberal ideals. The Grand Lodge of Bulgaria was formally established
16:59in 1917, and by the interwar period, it was active and connected with international Masonry.
17:05However, when Bulgaria came under communist control after World War II, Freemasonry was quickly
17:10outlawed. In 1940, the regime had already begun restricting secret societies, but by 1947-1948,
17:17the communist authorities dissolved the Grand Lodge completely. Masons were accused of serving
17:23bourgeois and imperialist interests, and the fraternity was labeled a threat to socialist ideology.
17:29Lodge buildings were confiscated, archives destroyed, and members subjected to surveillance,
17:34harassment, and imprisonment. For decades, Bulgarian Freemasonry survived only in exile,
17:40particularly in Western Europe. It was only after the fall of communism in 1989 that the Grand
17:45Lodge of Bulgaria was reconstituted, reconnecting with its international counterparts. Today,
17:51it operates legally once again, but the long suppression left deep gaps in its continuity,
17:56making it one of the many Eastern European Masonic bodies that had to rebuild from near extinction.
18:02Freemasonry in the Balkans developed unevenly, but by the early 20th century, the Grand Lodge of
18:07Yugoslavia had been formed, uniting lodges across the newly created Kingdom of Serbs,
18:11Croats, and Slovenes, later Yugoslavia. Lodges attracted intellectuals, professionals,
18:17and reformist politicians, often aligning with liberal and democratic causes.
18:22After World War II, when Josep Broz Tito established the Socialist Federal Republic of
18:27Yugoslavia, Freemasonry was outlawed. The communist regime regarded it as a
18:31bourgeois secret society with ties to Western powers, incompatible with socialist ideology.
18:37By 1946 to 1947, the Grand Lodge of Yugoslavia was dissolved, its lodges shut down, and its archives
18:45and buildings confiscated. Members were monitored by state security services, and many were pressured
18:50into silence or forced into exile. For decades, there was no official Masonic presence in Yugoslavia.
18:57It was only after the breakup of the Federation in the 1990s that Freemasonry began to re-emerge in
19:02the successor states. Separate Grand Lodges were reconstituted in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia,
19:08and other republics, rebuilding from scratch after nearly 50 years of suppression.
19:13The Grand Lodge of Yugoslavia itself remained defunct, but its legacy continues in the restored
19:18national obediences across the region.
Recommended
0:15
|
Up next
0:59
0:52
0:33
4:38
0:11
45:55
0:11
0:12
19:44
17:48
6:26
4:17
1:00
6:29
8:31
9:51
18:31
0:46
Be the first to comment