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Masonic Journeys in History Freemasonry in Europe in World War II Corey S. Kunde

Masonic Journeys in History Freemasonry in Europe in World War II Corey S. Kunde Benjamin Franklin Lodge #83. Early 1930’s-Germany Increasing level of harassment of Freemasons throughout 1934 by the Gestapo and various government ministries

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Masonic Journeys in History Freemasonry in Europe in World War II Corey S. Kunde

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  1. Masonic Journeys in History Freemasonry in Europe in World War II Corey S. Kunde Benjamin Franklin Lodge #83

  2. Early 1930’s-Germany • Increasing level of harassment of Freemasons throughout 1934 by the Gestapo and various government ministries • Actions included forcibly shutting lodges and confiscation of artifacts and libraries • Decree issued October 28th , 1934 defining lodges as “hostile to the state” by Wilhelm Frick (Minister of the Interior) • On August 17th, 1935 all remaining lodges ordered dissolved and assets confiscated (announced on August 8th in Hitler’s newspaper)

  3. Propaganda Campaign • Efforts made to link Judaism and Freemasonry as part of a “Jewish-Masonic” conspiracy • Freemasonry becomes obsession of chief of Security Police and SD, Reinhard Heydrich • Special section of SS Security Service created, Section II/111, to deal specifically with Freemasonry • Investigation of Freemasonry eventually taken over by Section VII B1 of Reich Security Main Office

  4. Example of Anti-FreemasonryPropaganda Poster

  5. Occupied Countries • Forced dissolution of Lodges as Europe is conquered • Anti-Masonic exhibitions mounted throughout Europe • Freemasons declared an “Enemy of the State” by Vichy government of France in 1940 • Alfred Rosenberg authorized to wage “intellectual war” against Freemasons in 1942

  6. Brethren POW’s • Masonic activity continued in at least 14 POW camps in Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Italy • Dearth of Past Master’s available within camp’s-likely due to relative youth of POW’s • Not constituted as lodges (not warranted) • Functioned primarily as Lodges of Instruction-no degree work • Improvised Lodge regalia and artifacts

  7. Examples of Improvisation -Working tools from POW camp in Brunswick-

  8. Examples of Improvisation-cont. -Tracing board from POW camp in Brunswick-

  9. Conclusion • Dictators obsessed with Freemasonry for over 200 years • Quote from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson-chief prosecutor at Nuremburg war crimes trial • "It is not generally understood that among the earliest and most savage of the many persecutions undertaken by every modern dictatorship are those directed against the Freemasons...dictators realize that its membership are not likely to support the police state, which lays so heavy a hand on the freedom of the individual.”

  10. Questions???

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