All About Freemasonry in Sweden

The Swedish Order of Freemasons. The Grand Lodge of Sweden is an organisation, where men from various walks of life meet in a Christian spirit to fully develop their personal maturition potential, and in dignified circumstances to meet fellow men.

History

Freemasonry was brought to Sweden by Count Axel Wrede-Sparre, a Cavalry Officer who during service in France had become a Freemason. After returning to Sweden he brought together some friends who like himself had been made Freemasons abroad. In 1735, he inititated and passed his brother-in-law Count Carl Gustaf Tessin in Stockholm. Most of the Brethren joining Wrede-Sparre's Lodge belonged to the higher nobility. The meetings seem to have ceased at the end of the 1740s.

At the beginning of the 1750s there were quite a large number of Freemasons in Sweden who had been initiated by Wrede-Sparre or abroad. Count Knut Posse established the Lodge St Jean Auxiliaire (John the Baptist) in 1752. Wrede-Sparre and most of the Brethren of his Lodge joined the Lodge St Jean and Wrede-Sparre handed over his rituals and other documents to the new Lodge.

The Lodge St Jean was called "Mother-Lodge of Sweden" and considered itself entitled to issue warrants to other Lodges in the country and in Finland, which was a part of Sweden at that time. Count Carl Fredrik Scheffer who had been made a Freemason in Paris in 1737, was elected National Grand Master in 1753. During the 1750s, the Lodges opened their doors to members of other classes of society than the nobility.

In 1756, Carl Fredrik Eckleff together with six Brethren formed the Scottish Lodge L'Innocente in Stockholm, working in so called Scottish St Andrew´s degrees. The next step in the development of Swedish Freemasonry was taken by Eckleff in 1759, when he established a Grand Chapter in Stockholm. Eckleff who was an employee of the Swedish Foreign Office, held a foreign patent authorizing him to form Lodges. It has not been possible to ascertain the date and place of origin of the patent and of the rituals. The Grand Lodge of Sweden was established in 1760.

Freemasonry in Sweden has continued to develop under leadership of their Grand Masters, all of them belonging to the Royal House for more than 200 years

Structure

Eckleff moulded a Freemasonry system on a Christian basis. The moral philosophy of the Swedish Rite was further developed by Duke Carl, later King Carl XIII, who succeeded to Eckleff as the Swedish Masonic leader. By two major ritual revisions in 1780 and 1800 he created a logical Masonic system with ten degrees. The Rite is truly progressive and continuous. Each degree leads to the next and each sums up the contents of the preceding degrees. The system is grouped into three divisions as follows:

St. John's (Craft) degrees: I Apprentice, II Fellow Craft, III Master Mason

St. Andrew's (Scottish) degrees: IV-V Apprentice-Companion of St. Andrew, VI Master of St. Andrew

Chapter degrees: VII Very Illustrious Brother, VIII Most Illustrious Brother, IX Enlightened Brother, X Very Enlightened Brother

On top of the system is XI Most Enlightened Brother, Knight Commander of the Red Cross

Progression from one degree to the next is far from automatic. A brother has not only to be regular in attendance - he has to give proof of his proficiency and of his knowledge of Freemasonry. There is only one form of accepted ritual for each degree, and deviations are not tolerated. The presiding Master follows an accepted ritual manuscript when working a Lodge.

Membership

According to the General Law of Grand Lodge of Sweden, 16.1, admission to the Order can only be granted to men of Christian faith. His proposer and seconder will ensure this be forehand. Whether he is Lutheran or Catholic, it is solely a question for his own conscience.