Freemasonry in Sweden
Encyclopedia
Freemasonry
is in Sweden
represented by several organisations. There are male as well as mixed obediences. There are Christian, Humanitarian (require a belief in a Supreme Being) and adogmatic (do not require a belief in a Supreme Being) obediences.
in 7 lodges for degrees I-III, 2 lodges for degrees IV-VI, 1 Steward lodge and 1 Grand Chapter for degrees VII-X, and 2 fraternal societies.
It works according to the Swedish Rite
and allow male members that must be Christian
. In contrast to the working of the majority in international freemasonry it excludes believers in a Supreme Being
who are non-Christians. However, a foreign freemason from a recognized obedience of any religion may attend lodges working in the degrees I to VI. Foreign visitors to lodges working in degrees VII and higher must sign at statement assuring that they are Christian.
started in 1918 in Sweden when the lodge in Stockholm was established. Later another lodge was established in Gothenburg but it is not longer active. Being an co-masonic
obedience it admits both men and women who believe in a Supreme Being. It works according to the Scottish Rite
.
, Halmstad
, Göteborg and Helsingborg
. Membership peaked in the early sixties at circa 350 members and during the seventies and eighties both membership numbers and activity levels decreased. There was an inflow of younger members during the nineties but it was not enough to reverse the downward trend and one lodge after the other became dormant, the last in 2006. The remaining brothers formed a Society to work for the revival of the lodges. Some lodge were revived in 2009 when also a Research Lodge
was established and the formation of lodges in Stockholm
, Simrishamn
and in Oslo
in Norway
were commenced.
It accepts male members that believe in a Supreme Being. It works the craft degrees, Order of Mark Master Masons, Royal and Select Masters (Cryptic degrees), Holy Royal Arch
, Order of High Priests, Royal Ark Mariner with a goal to eventually start again working the Scottish Rite
and the Rite of Memphis.
and Södertälje
. Being a co-masonic obedience it admits both men and women. It is adogmatic and thus do not require a belief in a Supreme Being. It works according to the French Rite
(Rite Français).
was first established in 1852 but activities discontinued after a few years. It started again in 2000 in Sweden with the establishment of a Provincial Grand Lodge in Stockholm and a second was started in 2002 in Kristianstad
. It admits Christian men and members of Svenska Frimurare Orden must have received the VIII degree to be able to join.
, a co-masonic organization that require members to believe in a Supreme Being.
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
is in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
represented by several organisations. There are male as well as mixed obediences. There are Christian, Humanitarian (require a belief in a Supreme Being) and adogmatic (do not require a belief in a Supreme Being) obediences.
Swedish Order of Freemasons
The Swedish Order of Freemasons (Swedish: Svenska Frimurare Orden) had its first lodge established in 1735 and the Grand Lodge was established in 1760. It has 43 Craft lodges (degrees I-III), 23 lodges for degrees IV-VI, 1 Steward lodge and 7 Chapters for degrees VII-X, a lodge of research and 63 fraternal societies. Membership in Sweden is 14,200. In addition there are 1,000 members in FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
in 7 lodges for degrees I-III, 2 lodges for degrees IV-VI, 1 Steward lodge and 1 Grand Chapter for degrees VII-X, and 2 fraternal societies.
It works according to the Swedish Rite
Swedish Rite
The Swedish Rite is a variation of Freemasonry that is worked in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. A slight variation is common in parts of Germany under the Große Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland. Also other craft masonic bodies are working in the nordic countries...
and allow male members that must be Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. In contrast to the working of the majority in international freemasonry it excludes believers in a Supreme Being
Supreme Being
The term Supreme Being is often defined simply as "God", and it is used with this meaning by theologians of many religious faiths, including, but not limited to, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Deism. However, the term can also refer to more complex or philosophical interpretations of the...
who are non-Christians. However, a foreign freemason from a recognized obedience of any religion may attend lodges working in the degrees I to VI. Foreign visitors to lodges working in degrees VII and higher must sign at statement assuring that they are Christian.
Le Droit Humain
Le Droit HumainLe Droit Humain
The International Order of Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain is a global Masonic Order, membership of which is available to men and women on equal terms, regardless of nationality, religion or ethnicity. The Order is founded on the ancient teachings and traditions of Freemasonry, using Masonic ritual...
started in 1918 in Sweden when the lodge in Stockholm was established. Later another lodge was established in Gothenburg but it is not longer active. Being an co-masonic
Co-Freemasonry
Co-Freemasonry is a form of Freemasonry which admits both men and women. It began in France in the 1880s with the forming of Le Droit Humain, and is now an international movement represented by several Co-Masonic administrations throughout the world...
obedience it admits both men and women who believe in a Supreme Being. It works according to the Scottish Rite
Scottish Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry...
.
Swedish Masonic Camp
The Swedish Masonic Camp (Swedish: Svenska Frimurare Lägret) started in 1951 based on warrants that John Trollnäs in the middle of the thirtieth had received from the Grand Lodge of Hamburg for the Craft and Royal Arch degrees. He shortly thereafter received from the Supreme Council in Leipzig warrant for the high degrees of Masonry in the Scottish Rite and the Memphis Rite. These were later, after the war, to be confirmed. Five lodges were established during the fifties in the south of Sweden in LundLund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
, Halmstad
Halmstad
Halmstad is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of Nissan in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County...
, Göteborg and Helsingborg
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
. Membership peaked in the early sixties at circa 350 members and during the seventies and eighties both membership numbers and activity levels decreased. There was an inflow of younger members during the nineties but it was not enough to reverse the downward trend and one lodge after the other became dormant, the last in 2006. The remaining brothers formed a Society to work for the revival of the lodges. Some lodge were revived in 2009 when also a Research Lodge
Research Lodge
A Research Lodge is a Masonic lodge that is devoted to Masonic research. It is a lodge, and as such has a charter from some Grand Lodge. However, it does not confer degrees, and restricts membership to Master Masons of some jurisdiction in amity with the jurisdiction that the research lodge is in...
was established and the formation of lodges in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Simrishamn
Simrishamn
Simrishamn is a locality and the seat of Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 6,546 inhabitants in 2005. Simrishamn is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city....
and in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
were commenced.
It accepts male members that believe in a Supreme Being. It works the craft degrees, Order of Mark Master Masons, Royal and Select Masters (Cryptic degrees), Holy Royal Arch
Holy Royal Arch
The Holy Royal Arch is a degree of Freemasonry. It is present in all main masonic systems, though in some it is part of 'mainstream' Freemasonry, and in others it is an 'additional' degree....
, Order of High Priests, Royal Ark Mariner with a goal to eventually start again working the Scottish Rite
Scottish Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry...
and the Rite of Memphis.
Gran Oriente Latinoamericano
Gran Oriente Latinoamericano started in 1984 in Sweden and have lodges in Stockholm, NorrköpingNorrköping
Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
and Södertälje
Södertälje
Södertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 86,069 inhabitants in 2010.The industrial city, about south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca....
. Being a co-masonic obedience it admits both men and women. It is adogmatic and thus do not require a belief in a Supreme Being. It works according to the French Rite
French Rite
The French Rite of Freemasonry is a Rite of Freemasonry. It was founded in France in 1786.-History:The French Rite is intimately linked to the birth of Freemasonry in France and was founded in France in 1786. British exiles brought the "Modern" rite to France and this was little by little passed...
(Rite Français).
Royal Order of Scotland
Royal Order of ScotlandRoyal Order of Scotland
The Royal Order of Scotland is an honor society linked to Freemasonry. Membership is an honour extended to Freemasons by invitation.-Organization:...
was first established in 1852 but activities discontinued after a few years. It started again in 2000 in Sweden with the establishment of a Provincial Grand Lodge in Stockholm and a second was started in 2002 in Kristianstad
Kristianstad
Kristianstad is a city and the seat of Kristianstad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 35,711 inhabitants in 2010.-History:The city was founded in 1614 by King Christian IV of Denmark, the city's name literally means 'Town of Christian', as a planned city after the burning of the town of Vä...
. It admits Christian men and members of Svenska Frimurare Orden must have received the VIII degree to be able to join.
Jus Humanum Suecia
Jus Humanum Suecia is a member of CATENAInternational Masonic Union Catena
The International Masonic Union Catena is an international organization of Masonic organizations. The organizations involved are considered irregular by the United Grand Lodge of England and most other Anglo-Saxon Grand Lodges.-History:...
, a co-masonic organization that require members to believe in a Supreme Being.