United Grand Lodges of Germany

The United Grand Lodges of Germany or, in German, Vereinigte Großlogen von Deutschland (VGLvD) is an amalgamation of the five Grand Lodges of Freemasons in Germany, and is recognized as regular by the United Grand Lodge of England.^[1]

The Masons of the VGLvD are committed to dignity, freedom and self determination of people-centered traditions of their league. The organization claims to have approximately 470 lodges, all male , for a total of about 14,100 Masons (there is a separate Women's Grand Lodge of Germany and the two grand lodges recognize the existence of each other, though they have no official ties).

Contents 1 Grand Lodges 2 Constitution 3 Grandmasters 4 References 5 External links

Grand Lodges

The United Grand Lodges of Germany comprise five constituent lodges:

• Großloge der Alten Freien und Angenommenen Maurer von Deutschland Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Germany (GL AFuAMvD)
• Grand Landlodge of the Freemasons of Germany (Große Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland, GLL FvD)
• Große National-Mutterloge „Zu den drei Weltkugeln“ Grand National Mother Lodge, "The Three Globes" (GNML 3WK)
• The Grand Lodge of British Freemasons in Germany (GL BFG)
• American Canadian Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M (ACGL)

Additionally, the United Grand Lodges of Germany assumed the two St. John's lodges with special responsibilities for Jacob DeMolay of the Flaming Star ^[2] (with three deputy lodges) and The White Lily ^[3] and the Forschungsloge Quatuor Coronati.^[4]

Constitution

In 1958, the United Grand Lodge of Germany (now the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Germany (GL AFuAMvD)) (organized on 19 June 1949 in St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt) and the great Grand Landlodge of the Freemasons of Germany (GLL FvD) (originally formed in 1770) joined together in the Vereinigten Großlogen von Deutschland, Bruderschaft der Freimaurer (United Grand Lodges of Germany, Brotherhood of Freemasons) with a Magna Carta of German Freemasons. In 1970, the Great National-Mother Lodge "Of the Three Globes" (GNML "3WK") and the Provincial Grand Lodges of the United Grand Lodge of Germany province of British Freemasons (PR BRF) and the American Canadian Provincial Grand Lodge (ACPGL AF & AM) also joined the United Grand Lodges of Germany under this Magna Carta.

The VGLvD represents German Freemasonry to foreign institutions (the other Grand Lodges) and the German public. The member Grand Lodges are autonomous in their internal affairs and in the manner of teaching.

Unlike other grand lodges of the Grand Master of VGLvD is only active representative. Decision-making body is the Senate which consists of five members of the GL AFuAMvD, three members of the GLLFvD and one member of the other three Grand Lodges.^[5]

Grandmasters

• Theodor Vogel (1958–1959),
• Friedrich A. Pinkerneil (1959–1960 und 1962–1963),
• Konrad Merkel (1960–1961),
• Richard Müller-Börner (1961–1962),
• Willi Schulz (1963–1965 und 1969–1970),
• Werner Römer, (1965–1966 und 1968–1969),
• Heinz Rüggeberg (1966–1968),
• Hans Gemünd (1970–1971),
• Hermann Kehlenbeck (1971–1972),
• Friedrich Heller (1972–1975),
• Walter Veit (1975–1976),
• Hans Werner Schneider (1976),
• Günther Gall (1976–1977),
• Bernhard Rohland (1977–1978),
• Jürgen Holtorf (1978–1985),
• Ernst Walter (1985–1991),
• J. Schicke (1991–1997),
• Alfred F. Koska (1997–2003),
• Klaus Horneffer (2003–2006),
• Klaus-M. Kott (2006–2009),'
• Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Templin (Present).

References

• Joachim Berger, Klaus-Jürgen Grün (Hrsg.): Geheime Gesellschaft: Weimar und die deutsche Freimaurerei. Katalog zur Ausstellung der Stiftung Weimarer Klassik im Schiller-Museum Weimar 21. Juni bis 31. Dezember 2002, Hanser Verlag, München 2002, ISBN 3-446-20255-2
• Klaus Jürgen Grün: Philosophie der Freimaurerei. Eine interkulturelle Perspektive. Interkulturelle Bibliothek 124, Traugott Bautz Verlag, Nordhausen 2006, ISBN 3-88309-329-7
• Helmut Reinalter: Die Freimaurer. 4. Auflage. Beck Verlag, München 2004, ISBN 3-406-44733-3
• Tom Goeller: Freimaurer. Aufklärung eines Mythos. Berlin 2006. ISBN 3-89809-071-X
• Michael Kraus (Hrsg): Die Freimaurer. Salzburg 2007. ISBN 978-3-902404-40-4
• Jahrbuch 2008 der Vereinigten Großlogen von Deutschland - Bruderschaft der Freimaurer

1. ^ UGLE recognized Grand Lodges in Europe
2. ^ http://www.jacobdemolay.de
3. ^ http://www.zur-weissen-lilie.de
4. ^ http://www.quatuor-coronati.org
5. ^ [1]

External links

• United Grand Lodges of Germany