Freemasonry in Sweden

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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.

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 Finland 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 a statement assuring that they are Christian.^[1]

Le Droit Humain

Le Droit Humain 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.^[2]

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 Lund, 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.^[3]

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.^[4]

Gran Oriente Latinoamericano

Gran Oriente Latinoamericano started in 1984 in Sweden and have lodges in Stockholm, Norrköping 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).^[5]

Royal Order of Scotland

Royal Order of Scotland 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 the Swedish Order of Freemasons by invitation only, who must have received the VIII degree to be able to join.^[6]

References

1. ↑ Swedish Order of Freemasons
2. ↑ Le Droit Humain
3. ↑ Svenska Frimurare Lägret – Kort historik och ursprung
4. ↑ Svenska Frimurare Lägret – Summary in English
5. ↑ Gran Oriente Latinoamericano
6. ↑ Svenska Frimurare Orden: Utländskt frimureri, ISBN 91-631-6635-6