The Swedish Order of Freemasons (Swedish : Svenska Frimurare Orden) is a Swedish fraternal order of freemasonry, founded in 1735 as the oldest still active Swedish fraternal order. It is the native Swedish manifestation of Swedish Rite Freemasonry, recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England as a Regular Masonic jurisdictions. The total membership is 16,500. [1]
The members are divided in 43 St John's (Craft) lodges (degrees I-III), 23 St Andrew's lodges for degrees IV-VI, and 7 Chapters for degrees VII-X. There is also a lodge of research and a stewards' lodge. Additionally 63 recognised "fraternal societies" provide masonic fellowship in rural communities considered too small to support a working lodge.
In addition there are 1,300 members in Finland in 7 St John's lodges, 2 St Andrew's lodges, and 1 Grand Chapter. While Finland has also a native Grand Lodge following American rite, the overlap of geographical jurisdictions has been agreed upon for decades and the two Grand Lodges are in perfect amity. [2] [3]
According to all Swedish Rite constitutions, all members must be men with a Christian spirit. It is also required that one must be sponsored by two members of the Order in order to become a member.
The Swedish Order of Freemasons, Grand Lodge of Sweden is an organisation, where men from various walks of life meet in a Christian spirit to fully develop their personal maturation potential, and in dignified circumstances to meet fellow men. [4]
Women Freemasons seem to have been introduced early in Sweden, though the information in scarce: according to documents of the Swedish Freemasons, Hedvig Charlotta Nordenflycht was in 1747 the Grand Mistress of in a certain "Ordre de la resemblance", which can thus be interpreted as a Women's Lodge of Adoption. [5] However, a confirmed Women's Lodge does not appear until the 1770s.
On 2 May 1776, the Grand Master of the Swedish Freemasonic Order, Duke Charles, had his spouse, Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, inaugurated as the Grand Mistress of a female lodge of adoption to his own lodge at the Royal Palace, Stockholm, named "Le véritable et constante amitié". [5] This new woman's lodge of adoption was confirmed by seal from Grand Master of the French Freemasonic Order, Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, and the Grand Mistress of the French Woman's Lodge of Adoption, Bathilde d'Orléans, on 8 May 1776. [5] The Women's Lodge of Adoption was organized by rules set by Duchess Charlotte in three grades with a ritual in five grades after a French model, and met in the same rooms in the apartments of Duke Charles in the Royal Palace where the male lodge met. [5] In addition to Duchess Charlotte herself, Sophie von Fersen and Hedvig Eleonora von Fersen, both introduced in 1776, are confirmed as members of the Lodge of Adoption, and Charlotte Stierneld is likely to have been member of the same lodge, as she was named as "already a Freemason" when she was introduced in the Yellow Rose Lodge. [5] It is unknown how long the Lodge of Adoption was active, but it is likely that it functioned at least until 1789, when Duchess Charlotte mentioned that Duke Charles allowed her to participate in "secret gatherings" to explore the occult, and perhaps until the foundation of the short lived Co-Masonic Lodge Yellow Rose Lodge in 1802, but was surely abolished in 1803, when all secret societies at court were banned. [5]
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients. Modern Freemasonry broadly consists of two main recognition groups: Regular Freemasonry, which insists that a volume of scripture be open in a working lodge, that every member profess belief in a Supreme Being, that no women be admitted, and that the discussion of religion and politics not take place within the lodge; and Continental Freemasonry, which consists of the jurisdictions that have removed some, or all, of these restrictions.
Charles XIII, or Carl XIII, was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 to his death. He was the second son of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, sister of Frederick the Great.
The Swedish Rite is a variation or Rite of Freemasonry that is common in Scandinavian countries and to a limited extent in Germany. It is different from other branches of Freemasonry in that, rather than having the three self-contained foundation degrees and seemingly-endless side degrees and appendant bodies, it has an integrated system with ten degrees. It is also different in that, rather than moving through the offices or 'chairs', progress in the Swedish Rite is based on moving through the ten degrees. A fundamental difference is the Swedish Rite's position on religious affiliation: Anglo/American 'Regular' Masonry requires a belief in any theistic religion and Continental 'Liberal' Masonry does not require belief in any religion, whereas Swedish Masonry is specifically Christian, and requires a Christian trinitarian belief in all its members. Nonetheless, the main Swedish Rite constitutions are all recognised as regular by the United Grand Lodge of England, and stand in full amity.
The Royal Order of Charles XIII is a Swedish order of merit, founded by King Charles XIII in 1811.
Freemasonry in Sweden was introduced by the Swedish Order of Freemasons, founded in 1735 as the oldest still active Swedish fraternal order, working the Swedish Rite of Freemasonry. It is under royal patronage of the King of Sweden and closely associated with the Lutheran Church of Sweden. It is a jurisdiction that admits Christian men only, and is recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England as a Regular Masonic jurisdiction, being the only Regular Grand Lodge that admits a 34th informal Masonic Degree. Its total membership is about 16,500.
Sophie of Sweden was, by marriage, Grand Duchess of Baden as the wife of sovereign Grand Duke of Baden, Leopold.
Freemasonry has had a complex relationship with women, which can be readily divided into many phases with no demonstrable relationship to each other until the 20th century. A few women were involved in Freemasonry before the 18th century; however the first printed constitutions of the Premier Grand Lodge of England appeared to bar them from the Craft forever.
Countess Eva Sophie Piper, née Eva Sophie von Fersen, was a Swedish countess and lady in waiting. She was the daughter of count Axel von Fersen the Elder and Hedvig Catharina von Fersen and the sister of Axel von Fersen the Younger, Hedvig Eleonora von Fersen and Fabian von Fersen (1762–1818). She is foremost known for her close friendship with Queen Hedvig Elizabeth Charlotte, who dedicated her famous diary to her.
Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp was the queen consort of Charles XIII of Sweden and II of Norway. She was also a famed diarist, memoirist and wit. She is known as Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte, though her official name as queen was Charlotte (Charlotta).
Prince Frederick Adolf, Duke of Östergötland was a Swedish Prince, youngest son of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, a sister of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. He was given the title Duke of Östergötland.
Freemasonry in Denmark was first established in 1743 and is today represented by a number of Grand Lodges. The oldest and biggest Masonic Grand Lodge in Denmark is the Danish Order of Freemasons, in English also known as the Grand Lodge of Denmark.
Charlotte Slottsberg was a Swedish ballerina. She was one of the first native members of the Royal Swedish Ballet. She was also known as a courtesan and as the controversial mistress of the future Charles XIII of Sweden. She was the first native star of the Royal Swedish Ballet.
Freemasonry in France has been influential on the worldwide Masonic movement due to its founding of Continental Freemasonry.
Countess Christina Augusta Löwenhielm, was a Swedish noblewoman and courtier. She is known for her love affair with the later Charles XIII of Sweden. She is also famous in history as one of "the three graces" of the Gustavian age; three ladies-in-waiting immortalized in the poem Gracernas döpelse by Johan Henric Kellgren, and known profiles of the epoch.
Hedvig "Hedda" Eleonora von Fersen was a Swedish noble, lady in waiting to the Swedish queen, Sophia Magdalena of Denmark. She was the daughter of Axel von Fersen the Elder and Hedvig Catharina De la Gardie and the sister of Count Axel von Fersen the Younger, Sophie Piper and Fabian von Fersen (1762–1818). In 1773, she married marshal Baron, later Count Thure Leonard von Klinkowström in his second marriage, and with him had four children, among them the artist Hedvig Amalia Charlotta Klinckowström and Count Axel Leonhard von Klinckowström, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences and la Société pour l'encouragement de l'industrie nationale.
Carl Adolf Andersson Boheman was a Swedish mystic, Freemason, merchant and royal secretary.
The Yellow Rose society was the name of a Swedish Masonic adoption lodge within the Freemasons, active from 1802 until 1803. It was founded by Karl Adolf Boheman upon the mutual wish of the royal couple Duke Charles and Duchess Charlotte of Sudermannia, and open to both sexes. It was closed by King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and the cause of the so-called Boheman Affair, which caused a conflict between the monarch and his uncle and aunt.
Events from the year 1776 in Sweden
Christina Charlotta "Charlotte" Stierneld née Gyldenstolpe (1766-1825) was a Swedish courtier; governess for the royal children in 1802-1809, and överhovmästarinna to the queen of Sweden, Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, from 1811 to 1818.
Freemasonry in Finland began in the mid-18th century, during the period of Swedish rule in Finland.
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