OVN News

Membership lists Theosophical Society online

2011-12-18T18:47:00.000+01:00

Without the Theosophical Society, founded in New York in 1875, our modern art would have looked very different. No other western esoteric organization or its offshoots had so much influence on the forming of modern art theories. Art historian and OVN-board member Marty Bax has been researching the membership records on the Theosophical Society since the 1980s. She has transcribed many of the records held in archives in India.
Because the original documents are accessible to so few, Bax has created an online database, in which they can be searched. The membership records of 1875-1905 are now online, covering no less than 26.000 members with their biographical data.
The records are part of a larger database, TheArtArchives, which Bax is using to make the archives of her art historical bureau accessible, including documents on Piet Mondriaan. Acces is provided through paid subscription, as is now common for many (genealogical) archive databases.

Exhibitions in Strasbourg

2011-12-11T18:03:00.000+01:00

The Musée Historique de la Ville de Strasbourg is hosting an exhibition on the theme of Les Frères Réunis à Strasbourg, une loge maçonnique engagée until 5 February 2012. It marks the 200th anniversary of the lodge and shows a selection of objects and documents on 19th century freemasonry.

This masonic exhibition will coincide with a larger exhibition on the relationship between art and the occult, organized in the Musee d'Art Modern et Contemporain, also in Strasbourg: L’Europe des esprits ou la fascination de l’occulte, 1750-1950. That exhibition runs until 12 February 2012 and is also discussed in the recent column by OVN board members Marty Bax and Andrea Kroon.

Pranks and Initiation Rituals

2011-12-11T16:24:00.002+01:00

The initiation rituals of many fraternal and student organizations are associated with harmless, if not humiliating or painful pranks. Author Julia Suits uncovered a curious sales catalogue by the DeMoulin Brothers Company which offered equally curious attributes to help organize these pranks. These items, dating from 1896-1930 are highlighted in a new book: The Extraordinary Catalog of Peculiar Inventions: The Curious World of the Demoulin Brothers and Their Fraternal Lodge Prank Machines - from Human Centipedes and Revolving Goats to ElectricCarpets and Smoking Camels. The author has uploaded an old film clip on YouTube, to help demonstrate what the book is about. It seems an excellent 'stocking filler' for students and scholars in the field of study.

Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica reopens

2011-12-11T16:15:00.003+01:00

The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in Amsterdam was frequently in the news in 2011 because of financial difficulties. A Dutch bank impounded the historical collection and the Dutch State, which owns part the core collection, transferred books and manuscripts to the Dutch National Library. This effectively split the collection in two and the bank intended to sell the impounded books. A protest and petition were organized by international scholars in the field of study. While attempts to save the library were made, a media silence was imposed.

Although it remains unclear exactly how it was achieved, the BPH has announced that it will formally reopen on 16 December 2011. The organizational and ownership structure of the library has been reviewed, which will hopefully prevent any problems reoccurring.
Keynote speaker prof. Wouter Hanegraaff (Chair for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents at the University of Amsterdam) will give a lecture ‘Per aspera ad fontes’ to mark the reopening on 16 December 2011. This will coincide with the opening of a new exhibition ‘Oneindig Vuur’ (‘Never ending fire’) in the BPH building. The library collection will then be accessible again to students and scholars from 19 December onwards (while the state-owned part of the collection presumably remains accessible in the National Library in The Hague). For more information: bph@ritmanlibrary.nl

Art & Western Esotericism

2011-12-11T15:00:00.000+01:00

From 1996 onwards OVN board members Marty Bax and Andréa Kroon, together with fellow art historians Marijo Ariens and Audrey Wagtberg Hansen, have realized various projects aimed at drawing attention to the relationship between ‘art & western esotericism’. Because their goals have largely been realized, Bax and Kroon feel the time has come to focus on other lacunas in their knowledge of art history. They have marked the end of their joint ‘lobby’ for this fascinating subject with an interesting column on the subject.

Groningen University Master Program

2011-12-11T14:52:00.001+01:00

The Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the Groningen University will launch a new Master program Concealed Knowledge: Gnosticism, Esotericism, and Mysticism (60 ECTS, entirely taught in the English language) as of the academic year 2012-2013.
The one-year program consist of 3 modules, 1 tutorial/ internship/ additional module, and a master thesis. The modules are: Knowledge, Secrecy, and Revelation in Antiquity; Medieval Mysticism, Kabbalah, and Contemporary Culture; Modern Esotericism between East and West. All modules are characterized by an approach that is well-established in Groningen: an awareness of (a) the historical dimension that reaches back to antiquity; (b) the fact that religion in the West is pluralistic (including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but also pagan and other religious options); and (c) that the notion of 'Western' must be critically engaged in terms of postcolonial debate and processes of globalization.
It is also possible to combine this program with a two-years Research Master. For details of the program, please see the University website.

Date change for Lexington conference

2011-12-11T14:28:00.001+01:00

The National Heritage Museum in Lexington (USA) announces a call for papers for its biannual symposium, Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism, to be held on 28 April 2012 (please note the change from the previously announced date!). The deadline for paper proposals has been extended to 2 January 2012. For more information, check the museums blog.

New publication

2011-11-02T12:58:00.000+01:00

Freemasonry and architecture are closely connected. Professor James Stevens Curl is well known amongst scholars in the field of study for his publications on this subject. His latest book, Freemasonry & the Enlightenment. Architecture, Symbols & Influences, builds on his earlier research into this field.
Curl shows how freemasonry has not only influenced architecture, but also the design of parks, cemeteries, stage design and other parts of the designed environment. Readers who are new to the subject are offered introductory chapters on the nature and origins of freemasonry and the importance of Salomons temple as ‘the great prototype’, as well as glossary of terms. Colleagues in the field of study will especially appreciate the themed chapters providing an overview of symbols, their sources and application in various arts, as well as the extensive bibliography. The book has an encyclopedic feel, because of the many illustrations: all the well-known tracing boards and Masonic prints are there, followed by beautiful architectural designs which have built on these symbolic sources.
As professor Andrew Prescott notes in the Foreword to the book: ‘Professor Curl brings out, as nobody else has done before, the central aesthetic and architectural themes in the history of freemasonry: he masterfully illustrates how these, so intimately connected with the cultural significance of the Art of Architecture, are central and indispensible for our understanding of Freemasonry in the age of Enlightenment’. After an enjoyable read, this book will not remain on your bookshelf for long, it will be leafed through frequently as an important reference source.

New lecture series at the Leiden University

2011-08-18T18:57:00.000+02:00

The University of Leiden will be offering a new lecture series on the history of freemasonry from 15 September 2011 onwards. Following the illness and passing of prof. Malcolm Davies, the Leiden chair for Freemasonry as an Intellectual Current and Socio-cultural Phenomenon has been inactive for two years. A successor for prof. Davies has not (yet?) been named. Prof. Ab de Jong took the initiative to organize another lecture series, inviting scholars from academic and masonic circles as guest speakers. More information is available (in Dutch) at: https://studiegids.leidenuniv.nl/courses/show/29516/geschiedenis-van-de-vrijmetselarij.

Freemasons condemn acts of terror in Oslo

2011-07-26T16:03:00.000+02:00

Masonic organisations worldwide are deeply shocked by the suffering caused in Oslo. Because the eleged interest in freemasonry by the perpetrator has been sensationalised in various media, the Order of Freemasons under the Grand East of the Netherlands has issued a statement on it's website, condemning the violence. It can be viewed by following this link.

The Patriot Mason

2011-07-08T14:13:00.004+02:00

Washington in masonic
regalia, portrait presented
by Henry Wellcome.
Photo: www.freemasonry.
london.museum

On Independence Day, Monday 4th July, a new exhibition was opened in the Library and Museum of Freemasonry in London: The Patriot Mason: Freemason-ry in American Society. It explores the role of freemasonry in America from the 18th century to the present day, drawing on rarely seen objects from the museum’s own collections. One of the world’s rarest Masonic books – published by Benjamin Franklin in 1734 – will be displayed alongside the elaborate regalia worn by American freemasons. The exhibition will be close un 22 December 2011.

New publications

2011-07-08T14:03:00.002+02:00

The postprints of the conference on women and freemasonry, organized at the University of Bordeaux 3 in 2010 are now available: Cécile Révauger/Jacques Lemaire (eds.), Les femmes et la franc-maçonnerie. Des Lumières à nos jours: Volume 1. XVIIIe et XIXe siècles, Volume 2. XXe et XXIe siècles, La Pensée et les Hommes 2011. A 20 % discount offer applies to orders received before 15 September 2011: € 40 for both volumes + € 7.10 postage. Orders: christiane.loir@ulb.ac.be.

- André Hanou, De loge Concordia Vincit Animos te Amsterdam. Namenlijsten (1755-ca 1825), Astraea, 2011, ISBN 978 90 75179 30 9, 75 pages, € 10,-. Lodge Concordia Vincit Animos (CVA) was constituted on 14 april 1755 and is still active in Amsterdam today. During the first 75 years, this lodge counted many authors, politicians and other 'thinkers' amongst its members. The book contains the membership and visitor lists between 1755 and 1825. These show that the lodge had a very cosmopolitan character, with visitors arriving from Western Europe, but also the East and West Indies.

- Jan A.M. Snoek, Einführung in die Westliche Esoterik, für Freimaurer, lodge Modestia cum Libertate, Zürich 2011, 271 pag., 40 CHF (ca. € 31) plus verzendkosten. Snoek discusses the history of various esoteric currents with significance for the development of freemasonry: Astrology, Neuplatonism, Gnosticism, Alchemy, Cabbalism, Hermeticism, the Astrea-cult, Rosicrucianism and Occultism, as well as the building traditions. The last chapter provides examples of their influence of freemasonry. While the book was written for a masonic audience, students and scholars will also benefit from this introduction into the subject. Orders: bi@modestia.ch.

- Helmut Reinalter, Geheimbünde in Tirol. Von der Aufklärung bis zur Revolution 1848/49, (Quellen und Darstellungen zur europäischen Freimaurerei 12), Studienverlag, Innsbruck 2011, ISBN 978-3-7065-4461-0, 292 pag., € 39.90. Revised and expanded edition of a standard work dating from 1982, which discusses the role of freemasonry in political and cultural developments in the late Enlightenment in Tirol.

From the same publisher: Reinhold Dosch, Deutsches Freimaurerlexikon, (Edition zum rauhen Stein 14), Studienverlag, Innsbruck 2011, ISBN 978-3-7065-4522-8, 416 pag, € 49.90.

- P.L. Dunbar, 'Hidden in Plain Sight: African American Secret Societies and Black Freemasonry', Journal of African American Studies (2011), pp. 1-16. [thanks to Robert Peter.]

- Elly Keus, In de voetsporen van Rakoczy. Het honderdjarige bestaan van een bijzondere loge, De Steensplinter, 2011. Lodge Rakoczy was founded in The Hague 1911 by the Dutch branch of the International Order of Co-Masonry 'Le Droit Humain', but separated from the Orden together with two other mixed lodges. They founded a new Order, the Nederlandsch Verbond van Vrijmetselaren (which translates as The Dutch Union of Freemasons) in 1917. Lodge Rakoczy attracted many artist members, including the well known architect K.P.C. De Bazel. He designed a temple complex in The Hague, which housed both the theosophical and masonic lodges of which De Bazel was a member. The building is now part of the Museum of Communication.

Rose Croix Exhibition

2011-07-08T14:01:00.000+02:00

The Belgian Museum of Freemasonry hosts an exhibition on masonic jewelry until 31 October 2011: From Utopia to Knowledge. On display are 134 jewels of the Rose Croix degree from the Guéguen collection. They are dated between ca. 1760 and 1890 and often executed in gold or silver and embellished with precious stones. This private collection was previously the subject of a publication: Robert Vanloo, Les Bijoux Rose+Croix, uitgeverij Dervy 2003.

Call for papers

2011-07-08T11:18:00.004+02:00

The School of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Tampere is organizing an international conference titled: Edges of Freemasonry - Western Esotericism and the Enlightenment, to take place on 7–8 September 2012. The conference, organized in association with the Research Lodge Minerva No. 27, is open to scholars, freemasons and the public.
The key themes to be discussed are: The historical constitution of freemasonry; the connections between western esotericism and the development of modern science; symbols as cultural artefacts and transmission objects between the personal and the transcendence; extending the rational: rites, intuition and religious experience in western subjectivity. Keynote speakers are Professor Ronald Hutton (University of Bristol, U.K.), Dr. Róbert Péter (University of Szeged, Hungary), Dr. Henrik Bogdan (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) and Mr. Antti Talvitie, Architect MSc. (Seinäjoki, Finland).
Paper proposalss for general sessions (abstract 400—600 words) should be sent via email to Mr. Antti Harmainen (papers[at]edges.fi) and Ms. Katariina Lehto (papers[at]symposium.fi) before 31 January 2012; papers for other sessions may be sent later. For registration and details of the conference, please see http://www.edges.fi/.

Seamen freemasons

2011-07-08T10:01:00.003+02:00

- A new, expanded edition is available of the Dictionnaire des marins francs-maçons. Gens de mer et professions connexes aux XVIIIe, XIXe et XXe siècles, with a preface by Pierre Mollier, Éditions SPM 2011, ISBN 978-2-901952-81-7, 572 pages, containing 5000 names. Orders: diffusion.harmattan@wanadoo.fr. Price: € 46,50.

- Travaux de la Loge de recherche en histoire maçonnicomaritime 'La Pérouse', (Éditions Le Phare de Misaine), Volume VII (2011), ISBN 978-2-917827-03-1, 140 pag., € 12. Journal on the relationship between freemasonry and maritime history, with articles on subjects as: 'La loge dunkerquoise Les Vrais Bataves', 'Joseph Henri François de Gantès, un officier de marine franc-maçon au XVIIIe siècle', 'Le corsaire François Thurot et le mystérieux Ordre de Coldin', 'Le Livre d’Architecture de la Mariners’ Lodge de New York de 1825 à 1847', ‘Le vice-amiral Platon et la lutte contre les sociétés secrètes’. Orders: aspoma@rllaperouse.org.

- The Lettre Periodique d'Histoire Maritime Cercle Thomas Dunkerley also deserves a mention in relation to the subject. Registration for this digital newsletter at: aspoma@rllaperouse.org.

Dispersed Nazi Records of Looted Art

2011-07-08T10:00:00.000+02:00

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany is supporting a series of projects aiming to make the Nazi records of cultural plunder during World War II publicly available. These projects have located and documented original files of the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR), the primary Nazi agency responsible for looting cultural valuables in Nazi-occupied countries. The ERR's records include not only art objects, but also items taken from libraries, archives, Masonic lodges, and religious buildings in the occupied countries of Western and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
Reconstructing the Record of Nazi Cultural Plunder: A Survey of the Dispersed Archives of the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) by by Patricia Kennedy Grimsted has been published online at www.iisg.nl/publications/errsurvey. In addition to the publication of the survey, the Claims Conference is supporting two additional initiatives. One is the ongoing imaging of the ERR files located in Kiev, Moscow, Vilnius, Berlin, Koblenz, Amsterdam, Paris, New York, and Washington. The other is the joint initiative of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to create a Database of Art Objects at the Jeu de Paume in Paris that brings together all documentation in a searchable form. The website was launched in October 2010 and can be found at: www.errproject.org/jeudepaume.

New publications

2011-05-18T19:26:00.001+02:00

- Andrea Kroon/Audrey Wagtberg Hansen, Geheim Den Haag. Vrijmetselaarstempels en andere esoterische gebouwen in Den Haag rond 1900, De Nieuwe Haagsche, Den Haag 2011. Guide to masonic temples and other esoteric locations in the city of The Hague, the Netherlands, around 1900.

- Dr Ann Pilcher-Dayton, The Social Impact of Women's Freemasonry in England, 1903-1935, dissertation University of Sheffield (History), 2011.

- Manuel de Paz Sánchez, Masons in the Atlantic, 3 Vol, Editions Idea, Library Square and Compass (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), 2009-2010. Collection of essays on the history of freemasonry on the Canary Islands, includes biographies.

Online resources

2011-05-18T19:25:00.000+02:00

An up to date list of English Constitution erased lodges is now available on the website of the Library and Museum of Freemasonry in London as pdf file.

The Library and Museum has also completed a survey of the whereabouts and types of material relating to freemasonry held by record offices around the country. The survey is available on line at: http://www.freemasonry.london.museum/resources/information-leaflets/

Conferences

2011-05-18T17:55:00.002+02:00

- The Fifth Conference of the Association for the Study of Esotericism and Mysticism (ASEM) will be held in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 2-5, 2011. The conference theme is History and Discourse: Historical and Philosophical Aspects of the Study of Esotericism and Mysticism. The keynote speaker will be Professor Dr Wouter Hanegraaff from the University of Amsterdam. For more information about the call for papers please follow the link: http://asem.ucoz.org/index/call_for_papers_2011/0-31.

- Coinciding with the 130 anniversary of the creation of the National Grand Lodge of Romania (MLNR) the Romanian Institute for the Study of Freemasonry organizes an international conference on the theme: 'Freemasonry and Fraternalism under authoritarian regimes / dictatorships of the twentieth century', 15-18 September 2011 in Bucharest (Romania). Info: http://www.irsmf.ro/. Contact: Sorin Antohi, sorin.n.antohi@gmail.com.

Lecture series

2011-05-17T18:01:00.004+02:00

- 'All’Oriente d’Italia. Unità, Massoneria e Saperi tradizionali', lecture series until 25 May 2011, Museo del Risorgimento, Milan, Italy, in cooperation with Università degli Studi di Milano (Dipartimento di Filosofia). Information: c.museorisorgimento@comune.milano.it

- 'História da maçonaria: Maçonaria e Política', lecture series until 20 Juni 2011, Centro de História da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. Information: centro.historia@fl.ul.pt.

Conference: Knowledge to die for

2011-04-21T19:23:00.000+02:00

The conference Knowledge to die for: Transmission of Prohibited and Esoteric Knowledge through Space and Time will take place on May 2-4 2011 at the Max-Planck-Institute for the History of Science in Berlin.
The conference deals with prohibited, heretical and esoteric knowledge, as attested in Mesopotamia and in ancient Jewish, Rabbinic, and Apocalyptic literature, as well as in Christian and Islamic contexts, pre-Islamic and later Iranian sources, and incorporating Judeo-Christian-Muslim heterodoxies.
Speakers will include: Michael Stone (Jerusalem), Boris Uspenskij (Naples), Gebhard Selz (Vienna), Tal Ilan (Berlin), Alexander Kulik (Jerusalem), James Russell (Harvard), Dimitri Gutas (Yale), Hans Kippenberg (Bremen), Angelika Neuwirth (Berlin), Antonio Panaino (Bologna), Maria Macuch (Berlin), Velizar Sadovski (Vienna), Jens Braarvig (Oslo), Desmond Durkin-Meisterernst (Berlin), Yuri Stoyanov (London), David Shankland (London), Matteo Martelli (Berlin).
Organiser: Prof. Dr. Florentina Badalanova Geller, fgeller@zedat.fu-berlin.de. Contact: Kirsten Koners, kirsten.koners@topoi.org.

Vacancy: Director of Research, London

2011-04-05T13:15:00.000+02:00

A job opportunity for a ‘director of research’ at one of the largest study collections in the field of study - The Library and Museum of Freemasonry in London, was announced today. See the advert in The Guardian: http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/job/4283204/director-of-research/.

In memoriam: André Hanou (1941-2011)

2011-02-11T15:06:00.003+01:00

We have received a sad, but not unexpected message: professor André Hanou has passed away on 8th February 2011. The many 'in memoriams' that have since appeared online, make it clear just what a remarkable inspiration this Dutch researcher, author and tutor was to students and colleagues. We would like to mention his many contributions to the study of freemasonry amongst an impressive body of work:

Hanou studied philosophy, theology and Dutch literature. In 1988 he defended his dissertation at the Nijmegen University: De Sluiers van Isis. Johannes Kinker als voorvechter van de Verlichting, in de vrijmetselarij en andere Nederlandse genootschappen (The Veils of Isis. Johannes Kinker as a campaigner for the Enlightenment in freemasonry and other societies). It marked the beginning of a specialisation in Dutch literature of the Enlightenment.

Between 1992 and 1998 he published a series of articles on his research of 18th century lodge archives in Thoth, a research journal for freemasons, including the series ‘Beelden der vrijmetselarij’ ('Images of Freemasonry').

‘De loge parterre’ ('The ground floor lodge') appeared in: ‘Een stille leerschool van deugd en goede zeden’. Vrijmetselarij in Nederland in de 18e en 19e eeuw in 1995. In this article, Hanou drew attention to the lack of standard sources and statistical data for the (new) field of study, such as a bibliography of 18th century masonic publications and publication of membership lists of lodges. This overview is still very relevant today.

Hanou worked at the University of Amsterdam for a long time, where he eventually became professor in 1989. Together with his wife, Rietje van Vliet, he founded Astraea Publishers in 1994, which published many 18th century studies, including Onder de Acacia. Studies over de Nederlandse vrijmetselarij en vrijmetselaarsloges (Underneath the Acacia. Studies on Dutch freemasonry and masonic lodges, 1997). Hanou also actively participate in many research societies, including one of the first on the subject of western esotericism, Aries. This is where the founders of the OVN Foundation first met.

In 2000 Hanou was appointed at the Radboud University as professior of early modern Dutch literature. He published: De Naakte Waarheyt der Vrije Metselaars. Teksten van de 18de eeuwse schrijver Jacob Campo Weyerman over de Vrijmetselarij (The Naked Truth about Freemasons. Texts by the 18th century author Jacob Campo Weyerman, 2004).

For some, becoming emeritus professor marks the end of their scholarly productivity. But when that moment arrived for Hanou in 2006, the steady stream of publications continued. In 2007 he started blogging on the Herkauwer blog, where he shared his expertise, exciting discoveries in libraries, and opinions on new books on an almost daily basis. The number of visitors shot up to nearly 35.000 hits. And when it became clear that an illness would soon make an end to his life's work, he still kept on blogging. It's characteristic for his love of research that he quickly wrote columns about notes found in his archive, in order to stimulate a new generation of researchers to pick up those subjects.

From the foundation of the OVN in 2001 Hanou was involved, as a speaker at conferences and member of the research grant committee. He declined our invitation to join as board member because of his very busy working schedule, until he finally found the time to do so in 2009. Our board members welcomed his stimulating input on the foundation's activities and especially the sense of humor he brought to our meetings. We will miss him dearly. Following Hanou's own initiative, the OVN will shortly publish a compilation of his articles on Dutch freemasonry. We sincerely hope that a translation of his work into English will be published one day, so his contribution to the field of study will be accessible to even more readers.

Freemasonry on Dutch television

2011-02-01T10:05:00.011+01:00

The BBC-program 'Who do you think you are?', which researches the family trees of celebrities has a Dutch counterpart, called Verborgen Verleden (= Hidden Past). In 2010 the OVN Foundation was approached to cooperate on an episode about a Dutch celebrity whose ancestors included a male and female freemason. The Grand Lodges of the two Orders were also involved in the program. We are not allowed to say yet whose family tree is discussed, but we can tell you to watch on 13 februari 2011 or the online version which will be available afterwards...

Update Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica: core collection transferred

2010-12-16T23:18:00.000+01:00

The Ministry of Culture of the Netherlands has transferred the core collection of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica to the National Library in The Hague. Talks about the fate of the collection as a whole are ongoing. Meanwhile, the online petition to save the collection, initiated by experts in western esotericism at the University of Amsterdam, has been signed by more than 5500 students, researchers and other visitors in less than a month. You can still add your signature!

Save the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica !

2010-11-26T15:40:00.000+01:00

The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in Amsterdam is one of the most renowned international study collections for scholars of western esotericism, including freemasonry. Unfortunately, the library is under threat of closure and sale by a bank. The OVN Foundation supports the petition to save the library, online at: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ritmanlibrary/. Click on the link for more information on the issue. The petition is an initiative of the Chair for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam, whose students and scholars have been researching the collection of the BPH for more than 10 years. Thank you for your support!

Online resources

2010-11-26T15:39:00.006+01:00

The Institute for the study of German Aristocracy has published a list of aristocrats who were freemasons some time ago. In order to advertise it, the Institute has made a ‘taster’ available online: a list of aristocrats who were a member of the lodge Zu den drei Weltkugeln since 1817. You can access it through this link: http://home.foni.net/~adelsforschung/freim01.htm

- The Quatuor Coronati Lodge has updated its website for the Ars Quatuor Coronati research journal. The site offers various sample articles from past editions as downloads: http://quatuorcoronati.com/knowledge/aqc-downloads/.

- The Digital Library of Dutch Literature (DBNL)is a vast database with digitalised versions of publications and journals from the Netherlands. A recent addition is a large number of volumes of the journal of the working group for 18th century studies in the Netherlands (Documentatieblad Werkgroep Achttiende Eeuw), which includes several articles on freemasonry.

Update on the Cultural Masonic Centre

2010-11-26T15:39:00.005+01:00

The Order of Freemasons under the Grand East of the Netherlands has updated its plans for the Cultural Masonic Centre (CMC) in The Hague.
As discussed earlier on this blog, the Order originally intended to move the CMC's collection to a location elsewhere in the Netherlands, which sparked a controversy. The plan was opposed by many scholars and heritage professionals, including the OVN Foundation, which appealed to the lodges and the heritage sector to allow the CMC's collection to remain within its historical and academic context in The Hague.
The Order has now announced that it will be reconsidering two options:
- remaining in The Hague with both the administrative chair and the CMC, because the historical ties to the city are a strong argument,
- relocating to the lodge building in Amsterdam, because this is already being renovated in order to attract a third party as co-resident.
The OVN hopes that the loges will now make good use of the wide support and interest expressed by the local heritage sector in cooperating on a suitable proposal for the old, or a new location in The Hague. The final decision will be made by the Order in june 2012, but a progress report is expected for the yearly meeting of lodges in june 2011.

The Philanthropy Files

2010-11-26T15:39:00.004+01:00

The Museum and Library of Freemasonry in London is hosting The Philanthropy Files: records of charities and their uses, the annual conference of the British Records Association (BRA) on 7 December 2010. The programme includes speakers, both archivists and academic historians, on various aspects of charity history. As Archivist and Records Manager and a British Records Association Council member, Susan Snell will be contributing an overview of Masonic involvement in philanthropy, highlighting records available for research at the Library and Museum of Freemasonry. Please do not contact the Library and Museum if you would like to attend this conference - for registration see the BRA website: http://www.britishrecordsassociation.org.uk/pages/events.htm

Freemasons and Enlightenment: radicalism contested?

2010-11-26T15:38:00.003+01:00

The Research Centers for the Study of Freemasonry (FREE) and the Study of the Enlightenment (VERL) at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) are organizing an international conference on the theme of Freemasons and Enlightenment: radicalism contested? on 9-10 December 2010. Speakers include:

- The Enlightenment and Freemasonry: A Critical Enquiry, Prof. Dr. Margaret Jacob, University of California, United States
- L’illusion radicale – La 'camera obscura' des Lumières, Prof. Dr. Charles Porset, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
- Radicalisme d'origine ou malentendu fondateur? La franc-maçonnerie dans les premiers pamphlets anti-maçonniques (1738-1742), Prof. Dr. Roger Dachez,
Université Paris III - Denis Diderot, France
- Russian freemasonry: A peculiar mixture of Aufklärung and Erleuchtung, Dr. Ton de Kok, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Libre pensée et idée de Lumières dans la Nahdha arabe: Le cas d’Adib Ishaq (1856-1884), Prof. Dr. Abdelaziz Labib, Université de Tunis El-Manar, Tunisia
- The Radical Enlightenment's Critique of Freemasonry: from Lessing to Mirabeau, Prof. Dr. Jonathan Israel, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, United States'
- English freemasonry during the Enlightenment: how radical, how conservative?, Prof. Dr. Cécile Revauger, Université Michel de Montaigne-Bordeaux 3, France
- Les Illuminés de Bavière, une franc-maçonnerie "radicale"?, Prof. Dr. Jean Mondot, Université Michel de Montaigne-Bordeaux 3, France
- Cosmopolitanism versus conflicting local and national identities in the Habsburg territories. Masonic networks and their political involvement under Joseph II, Dr. Tristan Coignard, Université Michel de Montaigne-Bordeaux 3, France
- Enlightenment, either way!, Drs. Gerard Bonneke, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Radicalism and Extremism are mutually exclusive, Prof. Dr. Ludo Abicht, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Registration fee: € 30,- (students € 15,-), incl. lunch. Registration deadline: 1 December 2010 (by e-mail to: Kees.Veenstra@vub.ac.be, stating name and number of persons). More information: http://www.vub.ac.be/freemasons-and-enlightenment/

Fellowships and Awards

2010-11-26T15:38:00.002+01:00

ESSWE PhD prize
Nominations are invited for the second biennial ESSWE PhD Thesis prize, awarded by the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism.

The prize will be given for an outstanding PhD thesis completed between 1 January 2009 and 1 March 2011 on any aspect of Western Esotericism.
The prizewinner will receive an award of € 500,- and a certificate, to be presented at the ESSWE conference in Szeged, Hungary 6-10 July 2011. The thesis will also be recommended for publication in the ARIES Book Series.
Nominations must be made by electronic mail to the Chair of the Prize Committee, Andreas Kilcher (ETH, Zürich, akilcher@ethz.ch) by 1 March 2011. More information on the ESSWE website: http://www.esswe.org/news_detail.php?news_id=59

Fellowship UCLA
The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the California Masonic Foundation has announced a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA from September 1, 2011 through August 31, 2012. The position is open to a recent Ph.D. with a strong interest in the history of civil society, fraternalism and freemasonry. This postdoctoral fellow will teach two courses in either American (North or South) or European or African history with emphasis on Freemasonry. The course will be designed in consultation with Prof. Margaret C. Jacob, Distinguished Professor of History. A $50,000 stipend, office space for the nine-month period, and a modest relocation fee will be provided. The postdoctoral fellow must remain in residence while classes are in session. For more information about the program visit: http://www.freemasonryandcivilsociety.ucla.edu/
Applicants should submit a CV and three letters of recommendation to Prof. Margaret Jacob, Bunche Hall, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 by January 10, 2011. UCLA is an AA/EOE. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

Essay award
The Masonic Study Center Reward Fernando Pessoa is annually attributed and is destined to reward authors of academic essays or other research into freemasonry. Contributions may be written in in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. Deadline is 22 December 2010. More information: alvaro.carva at cgd.pt. [With thanks to Andreas Onnerfors]

New publications

2010-11-26T15:37:00.002+01:00

- Harald Schrefler, Der Papst und die Freimaurer. Ein wissenschaftlicher Diskurs, (Edition zum rauhen Stein, Vol. 13) Studien Verlag, Innsbruck 2010, ISBN 978-3-7065-4991-2, 352 pages, € 33,-. The Catholic Church has opposed freemasonry since the founding of lodges in the 18th century. This book tries to answer why, and discusses the views of both prominent freemasons and clerics on the subject.

- Petri Mirala, 'Masonic sociability and its limitations: the case of Ireland', in: James Kelly & Martyn J. Powell (eds.), Clubs and Societies in Eighteenth-Century Ireland, Four Courts Press, 2010, ISBN: 978-1-84682-229-2, 496 pages, € 49,50.

- James Stevens Curl, Freemasonry & the Enlightenment: Architecture, Symbols and Influences, ISBN 978-1-905286-45-4, ca. 384 pages, Historical Publications, to appear in 2010. The book is a follow up to The Art & Architecture of Freemasonry (1991) and expands on this theme. For information on the pre-subscription offer: richardson@historicalpublications.co.uk.

- Papeles de Masoneria IV, CIEM, Zaragosa 2010, € 12,-. This issue is dedicated to the present situation of freemasonry in the world: it is subject to all manner of pressures, which urge it towards a self-analysis before choosing for tradition or modernity.

- Not an new publication, but well worth mentioning, is: Darius A. Spieth, Napoleon's Sorcerers: The Sophisians, University of Delaware Press 2007, ISBN: 978-0-87413-957-0, € 65,-. During Napoleon's rule, masonic circles in France invented rituals that allegedly first took place in the temple structures of ancient Egypt. This book looks at the cultural environment and intellectual background of one such a pseudo-Egyptian secret society, the Sacred Order of the Sophisians. Founded in Paris in 1801, the Sophisian Order initially catered to veteran military leaders, Egyptologists, scientists, writers, and artists who had joined Napoleon's Egyptian campaign (1798-1801). Soon the order branched out to attract new adepts from the world of the Parisian stage. The book includes illustrations from the Golden Book, a richly illuminated manuscript envisioned by Marie-Nicolas Ponce-Camus (a student of Jacques-Louis David). Underground mazes, cave settings, pyramids, and temple structures feature as theatrical settings to re-create Ancient Egyptian initiation practices.

- Andrew Pink, 'A music club for freemasons: Philo-musicae et -architecturae societas Apollini', London, 1725-1727, Early Music 2010, available online here.

- On his blog, Herkauwer, mentions 'A new type of lodge? (1781)', referring to a publication by a (para-masonic?) order: Liederen der Orde van St. Peter voor de loge Prudentia. Amsterdam, Gedrukt voor de loge. 1781 (Songs of the Order of St. Peter for the lodge Prudentia, Amsterdam, printed for the lodge, 1781).

Stadholder William IV and freemasonry

2010-09-02T15:10:00.002+02:00

The Institute for History in the Netherlands has made the inventories of the houses/posessions of the House of Orange (1576-1795) accessible online. A search for masonic terms generated just one item. The Inventory of clothing and precious objects of stadholder William IV [= ‘Inventaris van kleren en kostbaarheden van Willem IV, 1750], includes:

‘No 359: one decoration of enamel on copper, made in Berlin, representing a freemasons lodge’.
[= ‘No. 359: 1 plaque emaille sur cuivre, faite a Berlin, et representant un loge des francs-macons’.]

A new 'academic' initiative

2010-08-04T17:50:00.004+02:00

The latest issue of Ken U Zelven, the magazine of the Grand East of the Netherlands, mentions the following news:

The Grand Masters of the Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium and the Grand East of the Netherlands have signed a Convenant on 1st June 2010, stating their intent to establish an academic bureau in order stimulate the study of masonic sources in the Dutch language area and to do so within one year. The bureau will support the Chair for the history of freemasonry at the Leiden University.

The author of this article justly remarks that it is curious, that the Statutes will include the formal condition that the academic bureau will be dissolved, if one of the participating Grand Lodges would lose its status as 'regular' masonic body. (Which means: is no longer recognized as regular by the Grand Lodge of England; a recognition which since the 18th century is based on, amongst others, the restriction of membership to men only).

There are several existing international networks and cooperation agreements between academic research centres, heritage institutes and scholars in the field of study, which include irregular masonic bodies (with both male and female members) and their museums. It is customary in academic circles not to state a preference for research into, or in cooperation with, regular or irregular masonic bodies. All of freemasonry, in it's many shapes and forms, is interesting within an historical perspective, and academic research should not be restricted by prejudice or preference, if it's results are to be impartial.
Any new initiative should be applauded, but the preference for 'regularity' stated here, could be interpreted to contradict the intended ' academic' character of this new initiative.

[Source: Ken U Zelven, nr. 7-2010, article by Louis van Koert of loge Concordia ad Libertatem]

18th-20th century newspapers online

2010-07-15T13:13:00.003+02:00

The National Library of the Netherlands has made a database available of Dutch newspapers from 1615 until 1995, in which full text searches are possible. These newspapers contain a lot of information on Freemasonry in the Netherlands, but also report masonic news from abroad and include advertisements for contemporary publications on the subject.
For non-Dutch researchers it may be relevant to know that many of these newspapers were written in French (such as the Journal de La Haye, published up until 1849). The website also includes an option to view articles as text-only (OCR), which allows one to 'cut and paste' text in Word and then apply any (free, online) translation programme.
Website: http://kranten.kb.nl

Update on the Cultural Masonic Centre

2010-07-06T14:20:00.002+02:00

In earlier messages on this blog, we have asked your attention for the controversial moving plans of the Order of Freemasons under the Grand East of the Netherlands, which involve the historical collections in the Cultural Masonic Centre in The Hague.
this plan met with much controversy amongst academia and heritage professionals. Several list members have actively supported the campaign by the OVN Foundation to respect the collection in its cultural, historical an academic infrastructure in The Hague.
Most recently received news is that the Grand Lodge intends to go ahead with its plans, but... decided to take the topic off the official agenda for the yearly meeting in June 2010. The reason given was that the Grand Lodge is considering a location offered in Utrecht, but that particular plan is in too premature a stage to discuss with the members or bring to a vote.
This means the decision on the Cultural Masonic Centre has been postponed until the yearly meeting of 2011 (or a special interim meeting on the subject, if called for).

The OVN Foundation made an appeal to the heritage sector and all lodges of the Grand East to respect the cultural, historical and academic ties of the collection to the city of The Hague, which go back nearly 300 years. Positive response came from several heritage organisations, which are willing to help the lodges in The Hague to come up with a more suitable plan. Many academics in the field of study wrote letters of support. And many Dutch lodges responded positively, complaining about the decision process used by of the Grand Lodge.

In June, a new Grand Master was installed, who may have a fresh view on the situation. The board members who initiated the plan for the move are no longer in office. Hopefully the new team of decision makers will see the importance of respecting the cultural and historical context of the collection, as well as it's academic infrastructure, and is willing to explore the options of realising its ambitions together with the heritage sector in The Hague.

Readers are invited to give their opinion on the situation via the survey above.

[Image: The Cultural Masonic Centre in The Hague, The Netherlands, www.vrijmetselarij.nl]

OVN research grant 2010

2010-07-02T15:24:00.003+02:00

The OVN Foundation has awarded a research grant to to Joyce Stoffelsma, a student of western esotericism at the University of Amsterdam. The grant will allow Stoffelsma to make a professional inventory of the historical archive of the Dutch Federation of the International Order of Co-Masonry 'Le Droit Humain'. This inventory will make the archives dating from 1904 until 1945 accessible for future research. The project is made possible by kind cooperation of Le Droit Humain and The Hague's Municipal Archive. See earlier posts ons this blog for more information. Dr. Marco Pasi of the (chair for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents) at the University of Amsterdam will oversee the progress of the project.

The Expression of Freemasonry

2010-06-24T21:00:00.005+02:00

In 2008 prof.dr. Malcolm Davies organized the conference 'The Expression of Freemasonry' in The Hague. The papers presented at this conference were to be published, but unfortunately prof. Davies became ill and passed away before he could finish the project. As the Leiden University or the Order of Freemasons Under the Grand East of the Netherlands, who supported the conference, did not pick this project up, the OVN Foundation has offered to do so instead. With the kind cooperation of various speakers, a selection of the papers will be published by the OVN Foundation in 2010, as a fitting tribute to prof. Davies' contribution to the field of study. More information will be made available at a later stage.

CMRC conference

2010-06-24T20:24:00.006+02:00

The Canonbury Masonic Research Centre in London is organizing its twelfth annual conference, which this year is devoted to the theme of ‘Anti-Masonry’. The full programme, including many prominent academic speakers, is available here. Topics discussed range from
the Unlawful Societies Act to the Protocols of Zion and Fascist attitudes to freemasonry.

New publications

2010-06-24T19:57:00.008+02:00

- L'architecture maçonnique du 18e siècle à nos jours, exhibition catalogue Musée de la Grande Loge de France, Paris 2010, 152 pp. Nearly 300 objects, drawings, prints and paintings have been borrowed from the Masonic Museums in Europe (The Hague, Bayreuth, Brussels, Vienna, etc.) as well as large private and public collections.

- Janet Burke/Margaret Jacob, 'Les premières francs-maçonnes au siécle des Lumiéres', Monde Maçonnique I, Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux 2010. First volume of a new series edited by Cécile Révauger, 190 pp, € 17,-.

- An older publication, but now available online: José Antonio Ferrer Benimeli (ed.), Masonería, política y sociedad, Centro de Estudios Históricos de la Masonería Española, 1989. Download articles via Dialnet.

Save the CMC in The Hague

2010-03-28T15:18:00.010+02:00

The OVN Foundation has written a pressing letter (in Dutch: 'brandbrief', literally: 'burning letter') to representatives of the government and heritage sector in The Hague, alerting readers to the planned move of a world famous heritage collection from the city. This letter informs local officals about the plans of the Order of Freemasons under the Grand East of the Netherlands to move it's historical collections, currently housed in the Cultural Masonic Centre, to another city in the Netherlands.
The Order's internal committee advising the on the move, has most recently stated that Amsterdam and Utrecht are the only suitable locations for a new National Masonic Centre, in which the collection is to be housed along with administrative offices and lodge facilities. This would mean ripping the important historical collection from its cultural and historical context: the city of The Hague, where the collection has organically grown for 300 years. The collection is historically and physically totally intertwined with the city and functions as an integral part of its excellent academic and heritage infrastructure. A move would diminish the collection's cultural value as a whole, sever ties with related collections and research infrastructure, and would also spell a cultural distaster for the region itself.
The masonic lodges in The Hague, organized in the 'Regioconvent Groot-Den Haag', have indicated they wish to keep the collection in The Hague, but have so far failed to take decisive action. There are many excellent alternatives to house a new National Masonic Centre in The Hague, which have not been explored or considered by the Order's decision makers in this process. No advice has been sought from independent heritage experts in this matter. Lodge members from across the country (who are largely unfamiliar with the contents and history of the collection, unaware of it's context and ties with the Hague, and unfamiliar with the physical needs of a collection of national importance) will be asked to vote about the collection's future at the next yearly meeting.
The 'brandbrief' calls upon the local government and heritage sector to join efforts with the local lodges and come up with an alternative plan, which will convince the Order and its members at the upcomming yearly meeting that the collection should be allowed to remain in The Hague.

Network Esoteric Collections in the Netherlands

2010-03-28T12:17:00.004+02:00

In 2008 an OVN-conference was organized in the National Library of the Netherlands on the theme of 'Geheime kennis. De bijzondere archieven en bibliotheken van maçonnieke en esoterische organisaties in Nederland' (Secret Knowledge. The archives and libraries of masonic and esoteric organisations in the Netherlands). As a result, the OVN Foundation, Chair for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents and the National Library discussed a plan to found a platform, which would unite professionals working with Dutch esoteric collections in both the public an private sector. They saw a growing need for interdisciplinairy exchange of knowledge and cooperation between the professional heritage sector, the academic sector and esoteric organisations concerning the care for the cultural heritage of esoteric currents.
Because other projects were prioritised, this plan remained on the shelf for some time. Meanwhile, so many new network opportunities have been created online, that there is no longer a need for the formal structure (and meeting schedule) of an association. This is why the OVN Foundation took the initiative in March 2010 to launch the online Network Esoteric Collections in the Netherlands. Free membership is open to curators of public and private esoteric collections, academics at university chairs and centres, and other professional researchers in the field of study.

New publications

2010-03-28T12:15:00.001+02:00

A new book discusses the development of masonic rites, as well as the many strange and pseudo-masonic degrees, that were derived from freemasonry: Gabor Kiszely, Freimaurer-Hochgrade. Lehrarten und Pseudoriten, Studien Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3-7065-4679-9, 184 pp., € 33,-.

A new study aims to reveal how a half-hidden thread of Masonic symbolism runs through Hogarth's work: Elisabeth Soulier-Detis, Guess at the Rest: Cracking the Hogarth Code, Lutterworth Press, 2010, ISBN-13: 9780718892159, 232 pp., ca.£35.

On 10 October 1810, 27 men came together to form the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity. The story of the last two centuries, including many dramatic changes, is chronicled by Dan Weinbren in a The Oddfellows, 1810-2010: Two hundred years of making friends and helping people, Carnegie Publishing, 2010, ISBN: 978-1-85936-207-5, 384 pp., € 25,-.

Conference: Women and freemasonry since the Enlightenment

2010-03-28T12:10:00.001+02:00

On 17-19 June 2010, an important conference will take place at the Université de Bordeaux in France: Les femmes et la franc-maçonnerie, des Lumières à nos jours. The extensive program, which includes sessions in both French and English with many prominent scholars of freemasonry, can be found at the website of co-organizer, Cécile Revauger. Contact information: ecile.revauger@u-bordeaux3.fr

Call for papers: CMRC 2010

2010-03-28T12:10:00.000+02:00

The Canonbury Masonic Research Centre (CMRC) has distributed a call for papers for its 12th annual conference on the theme of Anti-Masonry scheduled for 30-31 October, 2010. The full text of the call is available at the CRMC's website. Paper proposals (max. 300 words) including a short c.v. can be submitted until 20 May 2010. For further information: conference@canonbury.ac.uk.

Activities CRFF suspended!

2010-03-18T11:29:00.002+01:00

Dr. Andreas Onnerfors, director of the Centre for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism at the University of Sheffield, send us the following announcement:
'With the publication of the first issue of the Journal for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism in January 2010 the activities of the Centre for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism at the University of Sheffield, established in 2000, have come to a preliminary end. On March 8, faculty administration put following message on the Centers website:

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities regrets that, with effect from 1 January 2010, the activities of the Centre for Research for Freemasonry and Fraternalism are suspended for the time being.[ ]

The CRF(F) has over the past ten years contributed considerably to the vitalization of academic research into freemasonry and related fraternal organizations both in Britain and abroad. We are in this respect deeply indebted to the efforts of founding director, prof Andrew Prescott. It is intended to publish a chronological overview over Ten Years of Research into Freemasonry at the University of Sheffield later this spring.

The Academic Society for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism (ASRFF) will immediately take over some core functions from the CRFF, such as the publication of a newsletter or the edition of the academic journal JRFF.
The Society is under formation and experienced already a serious blow with the tragic death of its intermediary president, prof Malcolm Davies, who passed away unexpectedly in February 2010. With the Leiden chair empty and the CRFF in hibernation, academic research at the moment and for the foreseeable future will be carried out by single academics based at single universities across the world.
This increases the need for cooperation of various initiatives such as the organization of conferences, e.g. the next International Conference on the History of Freemasonry that will take place in Alexandria, VA in late May 2011 and to which we currently are recruiting the Academic Committee. The ASRFF has created a temporary website that will be continually updated.'

Of course the OVN supports the ASRFF and calls upon it's members and colleagues to do the same. Students and scholars can join the society and subscribe to the journal, which will allow this initiative to grow. The OVN also feels that it is necessary to establish academic organisations for the study of freemasonry, such as the OVN in each country, for which the ASRFF could act as an international umbrella-organisation. This will provide valuable support to students and scholars and can make funding available for research - independent of the internal politics of Orders and universities.

Freemasonry in Amsterdam

2010-02-27T11:00:00.000+01:00

On 26th February 2010, mrs. drs. Floor Meijer defended her dissertation Wereldburgers. Vrijmetselaren en de stad Amsterdam, 1848-1906 (Citizens of the world. Freemasons and the city of Amsterdam, 1848-1906) at the University of Amsterdam.
This is one of the first studies to look at the history of Dutch freemasonry around 1900. Although freemasons traditionally do not engage in politics as a matter of principle, they changed their views in the second half of the 19th century. Some of the social problems in the modern city of Amsterdam included poverty, hunger and child labour. Local freemasons debated about such problems in lodge publications as well as in the lodge itself, and got involved in charity, creating organizations to care for the blind and hungry. This developement went hand in hand with a shift in membership of the Order, which included more and more citizens, from craftsmen to shopkeepers and teachers, who were very much engaged with the daily problems in the city. New contacts between freemasonry and other organisations, both social and political, changed the character of the Order, as did the introduction of mixed Orders in Amsterdam after 1900.

Floor Meijer, Wereldburgers. Vrijmetselaren en de stad Amsterdam, 1848-1906, Wereldbibliotheek Amsterdam 2010, ISBN 978-90-284-2321-3, paperback ca. 704 pages, € 39,90.

In memoriam Malcolm Davies

2010-02-10T20:18:00.007+01:00

It is unfortunate to have to bring some sad news on this blog: on 9 February 2010 prof.dr. Malcolm Davies has passed away.

Davies studied the history of music at the University of Utrecht. He also worked as director of the music department of the International School in The Hague, and was very active as a conductor in the music scene. He became a member of lodge 'De Vlammende Ster' in The Hague in 1996 and went on to study the relationship between freemasonry and music.
Davies made a rich contribution to the field of study in a relatively short time. His dissertation The Masonic Muse. Songs, Music and Musicians Associated with Dutch Freemasonry: 1730–1806 was published in 2005 by the Royal Association for the History of Music (Koninlijke Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis). Twice he was rewarded an OVN research grant for follow up research on the subject, as he was preparing a second book.
In 2007 Davies was appointed as professor of the chair for 'Freemasonry as an intellectual current and socio-cultural phenomenon in Europe' at the Leiden University. He organized an international academic conference, 'The Expression of Freemasonry', in 2008, and was involved in plans for closer international cooperation between the chairs in the field of study.

The board of the OVN had a good working relationship with the Leiden chair, and recently made plans for closer cooperation with Davies in 2009. The field of study has lost a promising scholar, who made an effort to make Dutch scholarschip on freemasonry known in the international academic community. Our board members will miss him as an esteemed colleague, and our thoughts are with Davies' family and friends at this difficult time.

[Photo: Malcolm Davies in good spirits at the speakers' dinner, following the OVN conference 'Maçonnieke en Esoterische Collecties in Nederland' in 2007.]

Vacancy: curator Dutch masonic collection

2010-01-07T11:47:00.002+01:00

The Order of Freemasons under the Grand East of the Netherlands is seeking a new curator for the Cultural Masonic Centre ‘Prince Frederik’ in The Hague, which houses the historical library, archives and object collection of the Order. The advert is published (in Dutch) here.
The text includes a preference for candidates ‘who are members of the Order, or a recognized Grand Lodge’.

The former curator of the CMC, drs. Evert Kwaadgras, unfortunately had to step down due to illness some time ago. The Order has used the opportunity to separate management and curator's tasks by appointing a director for the CMC, mrs. drs. Marijke de Vries, who will be supervising the work of the new curator.

Le Droit Humain's archive moves to The Hague Municipal Archive

2010-01-07T11:45:00.000+01:00

The office of the Dutch Federation of the International Order of Mixed Freemasonry 'Le Droit Humain' has moved from The Hague to its new premises in Nieuwegein. Althought the historical library of ca. 5000 titels will also move, this is not the case for the historical archives of the Dutch Federation.

The archive of Le Droit Humain dating before 1980 has been stored at The Hague's Municipal Archive for a period of three years, where optimal climate conditions and security measures are provided. The Municipal Archive has kindly offered facilities to make an inventory of the collection.
The OVN Foundation was involved in the preparation of the archives for the move and will now offer a research grant to have an inventory made of the documents dating between 1904 and 1945. A call for candidates will be circulated in order to select a student or researcher, who will make a complete inventory in order to make this earliest part of the archive available for research as soon as possible.

Le Droit Humain has also decided to transfer several rituals and magazines dating before 1945 from its library to the archive, as these are to rare and vulnarable to continue to be included in the library's loan services. Several duplicates, including annual editions of the magazine Lux Orientis of the lodges in the Dutch East Indies and the Bulletin of the Dutch Federation, have been donated to the National Library of the Netherlands.

The progressive policy adapted by Le Droit Humain towards it's archives, as well as the kind cooperation of The Hague's Municipal Archive, will make important sources available. When this particular archive becomes accessible for research, it will no doubt lead to a complete review of the history of modern freemasonry in the Netherlands. So far, only the archives of masculine Orders were available. But the archives of mixed Orders of the beginning of the 20th century reveal the relationship between freemasonry and 'new' social and religious movements, including vegetarianism, cremation, emancipation, animal and child protection services, as well as theosophy and anthroposophy. Le Droit Humain especially attracted members of the intellectual avant-garde, including well-known artists and architects. All the more reasons to look forward to the inventory of the archive becoming available.

Whan the inventory is finished and the initial term of the loan to the Municipal Archive is passed, the Dutch Federation will take a more permanent decision about the future of it's archive. A long term loan of minimum 20 yers to the Municipal Archive is one of the options. The OVN Foundation hopes that the example of Le Droit Humain will be followed by other masonic and esoteric organizations, and can offer advice and practical assitance to organizations considering the future of their collections.

[Images: Archive before conservation and registration (top) and the storage facilities of The Hague's Municipal Archive (bottom)]

Call for Papers IAHR

2010-01-07T11:35:00.000+01:00

Allison Coudert (University of California at Davis), Cathy Gutierrez (Sweet Briar College) and Marco Pasi (Universiteit van Amsterdam) are organizing a panel on Western esotericism and its boundaries: Between discourses of identity and difference at the IAHR Quinquennial World Congress in Toronto, 15-21 August 2010:

'In the last 20 years it has become customary for specialists to define esotericism as "western." This has a series of implications that are usually left in the background and not addressed explicitly. The purpose of the panel is to discuss precisely these aspects, namely: Why should esotericism be defined as western in the first place? Where do we want to draw the boundaries of the "West"? Are Jewish and Islamic forms of esotericism to be included in "western" esotericism, and if not, why? Finally, if we want to reject the tag "western," what are the possible alternatives? In what way could we open up the study of esotericism to multiculturality? Could we do this by studying possible historical influences or rather by using a comparative approach that focuses on possible common patterns and analogies?
We welcome papers that address the use of esotericism as a theoretical designation in the construction of identity and difference while negotiating geographical and ideological boundaries. Proposals for papers on specific historical strains of esoteric thinking are also welcome, particularly those that address the formation of discourses of difference'.

Proposals, together with a brief curriculum, should be sent before 31 March 2010 to Cathy Gutierrez (cgutierrez@sbc.edu) and/or Marco Pasi (m.pasi@uva.nl).

New publications

2010-01-07T11:01:00.002+01:00

The Centre for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism at the University of Sheffield has published Working paper no. 6: an article on the history and contents of the masonic collection of the University Library in Poznan by Andrzej Karpowicz. It is available online here.

A well-known publication on freemasonry in Gent, Belgium, has been reprinted and updated: Guy Schrans, Vrijmetselaars te Gent in de XVIIIde eeuw. During the second half of the 18th century, Gent counted circa 51.000 inhabitants, making it the 5th most important city in the Habsburg monarchy (after Vienna, Milan, Prague and Brussels). The city had a rich social scene, which stimulated the foundation of loges: La Discrète Impériale et Royale (1762), La Candeur (1763) and La Bienfaisante (1765).
Guy Schrans researched the biographies of the lodge members, resulting in the first edition of his book in 1997, no less than 800 pages with 200 biographies of freemasons in social and cultural context.
The book has now been updated with 30 additional biographies, much new data on the others, and 600 new titles in the bibliography. The book can be ordered from the Liberal Archive (€ 49 plus postage fees).

Jaap Kloosterman has kindly alerted us to the pdf version of his contribution to the section ‘Auf der Suche nach der Zivilgesellschaft’ at a conference of the German Historical Institute in Moscow in 2009: Hidden Centres: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Societies.

National Heritage Museum Symposium

2010-01-07T11:00:00.003+01:00

The National Heritage Museum in Lexington (Massachussets, USA) will host the conference on 'New Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism' op 9 April 2010: 'The symposium seeks to present the newest research on American fraternal groups from the past through the present day. By 1900, over 250 American fraternal groups existed, numbering six million members. The study of their activities and influence in the United States, past and present, offers the potential for new interpretations of American society and culture'. Speakers are:

- Jessica Harland-Jacobs (Associate Professor of History at the University of Florida/author of Builders of Empire: Freemasonry and British Imperialism, 1717-1927): 'Worlds of Brothers',
- Damien Amblard (doctoral student, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York), 'French Counter-Enlightenment Intellectuals and American Antimasonry: A Transatlantic Approach, 1789-1800',
- Hannah M. Lane (Assistant Professor, Mount Allison University), 'Freemasonry and Identity/ies in 19th-
Century New Brunswick and Eastern Maine',
- Nicholas Bell (Curator, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum), 'An Ark of the New Republic',
- David Bjelajac (Professor of Art History, George Washington University), 'Freemasonry, Thomas Cole (1801-1848) and the Fraternal Ethos of American Art',
- Ami Pflugrad-Jackisch (Assistant Professor of History, University of Michigan – Flint), 'Brothers of a Vow: Secret Fraternal Orders in Antebellum Virginia',
- Kristofer Allerfeldt (Exeter University), 'Nationalism, Masons, Klansmen and Kansas in the 1920s'.

The registration deadline is 24 March 2010. For more information, contact Claudia Roche at croche@monh.org.

Musée de la Franc-Maçonnerie

2009-11-22T21:54:00.003+01:00

The Museum of the Grand Orient de France in Paris will formally change it's name to Museum of Freemasonry: Musée de la Franc-Maçonnerie, in February 2010. The museum, which will then reopen after extensive renovations, will become part of the Museums of France recognized by the Ministery of Culture. More information can be found on the new website: www.museedelafrancmaconnerie.org.
This marks a new step towards the general cultural and heritage sector, an example set by the Library and Museum of Freemasonry in London some years ago. (Hopefully, this will inspire the Dutch Grand Lodge, which is currently reviewing the plans for the future of it's collection.)

Vacancy: Postdoc Groningen University

2009-11-20T17:09:00.002+01:00

The University of Groningen, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, invites applications for a Postdoc Position (1 fte, 3 years) with the chair of Religious Studies. The postdoc position is part of the larger research framework that addresses "The Transformation of the Religious Field since 1800".
Preference will be given to candidates whose research focuses on the relationship between modernization and religion. Projects may investigate discursive changes in the status of religion in Western societies, interactions between religious systems and other systems (such as the natural sciences, philosophy, politics, law, art, etc.), or related dynamics of modernization.
The candidate will need to hold a PhD in the Academic Study of Religion or in a related discipline. She/he will have demonstrated high-standing academic skills in her/his PhD dissertation and in subsequent publications, and she/he will have an international network of scholarly contacts.
The candidate will be expected to contribute to the research activities in the Department of Religious Studies of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, as well as to applications for research grants on national and international levels. She/he may also be asked to contribute to teaching in the BA and MA program.

For a detailed description of this opening, please see http://www.academictransfer.com/employer/RUG/vacancy/1954/lang/en/.

Copy Francken MS discovered

2009-11-20T17:01:00.001+01:00

The editor of the masonic site Pietre-Stones has announced the (re)discovery of a copy of the famous Francken Manuscript with the rituals of the Rite of Perfection from 1783 in Lahore, Pakistan. Information is available on the Pietre Stones website.
Over the years, several modern transcripts of the Francken MS have been brought into circulation, one of which can be viewed on Google Books.

Prescott Director of Research at HATII

2009-11-20T17:00:00.001+01:00

Prof. Andrew Prescott (former director of the CRFF at the Sheffield University and member of the comittee of recommendation of the OVN Foundation) has announced that he will be leaving his current position at the University of Lampeter. From January 1, 2010 he will be appointed as director of the Research Department of the Humanities Advanced Technology & Information Institute at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. This transfer will allow Prof. Prescott to once again make a contribution to research on the history of freemasonry. More information is available at the Glasgow University website.

UCLA Postdoctoral Fellowship

2009-11-20T16:55:00.000+01:00

The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Grand Lodge of California are offering a postdoctoral research position of one year. A PhD researcher, who has recently finished his thesis, will be able to reside at the UCLA from September 2010 to June 2011. He/she will be expected to teach a lecture series on American or European History in relation to freemasonry and will work together with an assistant researcher. A scholarship of $ 50,000, a workplace and a moving allowance are being offered. Candidates can send their resume and three letters of recommendation to Prof. Margaret C. Jacob before December 15, 2009.

Seminar: Jacobites and Freemasonry

2009-11-20T16:50:00.002+01:00

On 5 December 2009 the University of Paris IV Sorbonne will host a seminar in collaboration with the journal Politica Hermetica: La Franc-Maçonnerie au XVIIIe siècle et les Stuarts, stratégies politiques, réseaux, entre mythes et réalité et. Speakers are:

- Duchein Michel, ‘Le contexte politico religieux dans l'Angleterre des derniers Stuarts: the Jacques aux hanovriens II’,
- Steve Murdoch, ‘Jacobites and Hanoverian British Freemasons in their Scandinavian Context’,
- Jean-Marie Mercier, ‘Les origines de la franc-maçonnerie jacobites avignonnaise, mythology historique à une repenser’,
- José Antonio Ferrer-Benimelli, ‘La présence de la Maçonnerie Jacobite à Madrid et à Rome’,
- Robert Collis, ‘L'influence des Jacobites sur le développement de la Russie’,
- Pierre-Yves Beaurepaire, ‘Le Parnasse the Chaulnes, royal et l'Art, peut-on parler d'une franc-maçonnerie Jacobite au XVIIIe siècle?’.

Exhibition: Freemasonry Unmasked!

2009-11-20T16:49:00.000+01:00

The National Heritage Museum in Lexington (USA) has opened a new exhibition: Freemasonry Unmasked! Anti-Masonic Collections in the Van Gorden-Williams Library and Archives. The museum, founded and supported by the 32° Scottish Rite Freemasons in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States, houses one of the most important masonic collections in the USA. The exhibition provides an overview of the most uninformed and absurd claims which have been made about freemasonry during three centuries, and shows many examples from the museum's collection of anti-masonic books.

Conference: freemasonry and slavery

2009-11-20T16:48:00.000+01:00

The University of Bordeaux will host a conference on 7 and 8 December 2009, discussing the relationship between freemasonry and slavery: Société des plantations, slavery Abolition et dans la Caraibe anglophone, francophone et hispanophone. Speakers are:

- Jacques de Cauna (Université de Pau), ‘Etienne de Polvirel, un projet abolitionniste d'inspiration magonnique?’,
- Eric Saunier (Université du Havre), ‘Les francs-maçons, la traite des noirs et l'esclavage: un bilan de la recherche’,
- Cécile Rivauger (Université de Bordeaux 3), ‘Franc-maçonnerie, esclavage et abolitions dans deux colonies britanniques: la Barbade et Trinidad’,
- François Hubert (Musée d'Aquitaine et Jacques de Cauna): ‘La réprésentation de la traite et de l'esclavage dans les nouvelles salles du Musée d'Aquitaine’,
- François Poirier (Université de Paris VIII), ‘From dreamland to nightmare: the Sierra Leone plantation, 1787-1810’,
- Pedro Welch, (UWI, Barbados), ‘Precursors to Abolition in the British Caribbean: Manumission and Freedom Maneuvers in the Case of Barbados’,
- Dominique Gongalves (Université de Bordeaux), 'Evangélisation, rentabilité et sécurité dans les plantations sucréhres cubaines la fin du XVIIIe siècle’.
- Agnès Renault (Université du Havre), ‘Les esclaves de Français dans les plantations de café Cuba’,
- Karen Bourdier, (Université de Pau), ‘La mère et l'enfant dans les sucreries du Nord de Saint-Domingue entre profit iconomique et sauvegarde du capital humain’,
- Trevor Burnard, ‘Jamaican Planters and the Growth of the Plantation System in Jamaica, 1674-1744’,
- Marcel Dorigny, ‘La société de plantation de Saint-Domingue : l'apport des statistiques de la traite "la connaissance des structures de la plantation domingoise" la fin de la période coloniale’.

Information: cecile.revauger @ u-bordeaux3.fr.

New research centre in Canada

2009-11-20T16:45:00.000+01:00

The newsletter of the Centre for Research into Freemasonry at the University of Sheffield and Fraternalism announces plans for a new research centre in the field of study in Canada.
The Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Canada aims to raise funds through the Grand Master’s Project (2009-2011) for a Centre for Masonic Studies, to be established in collaboration with the Province of Ontario and Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. The project will be dedicated to the name of R.W. Bro. Charles A. Sankey (1905-2009), principal of the university from 1969-1974 and prominent freemason. His collection of rare masonic publications is part of the James Gibson Library in Brock. The kickoff for the project will be given in a series of lectures in the spring of 2010. Donations to The Masonic Foundation of Ontario, project number 2937, are welcome.

The CRFF has also been approached by the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, which is researching the possibility of establishing a university chair.
And from Brazil there’s news that the University of São Paulo is in contact with the local Grand Lodge to explore the possibilities of collaboration.

Fortunately, the few Dutch researchers who once took the initiative for the establishment of the OVN are no longer alone. Perhaps now we will also see the same amount of research funds and grants being established worldwide...?

New publications

2009-11-20T16:40:00.000+01:00

Winfried Dotzauer, Freimaurerei global (Quellen und Darstellungen zur europäischen Freimaurerei, Band 11), Study Verlag Innsbruck 2009, 160 pp., ISBN 978-3-7065-4828-1, € 23.90.

Vence Jean Gaspard (1747-1808), corsaire et franc-Macon, the premier maritime prefect Toulon, Éditions Le Phare de Misaine, Nantes 2009, 75 pp., ISBN 978-2-917827-02-4, € 10, -. Orders: aspoma@rllaperouse.org.

Totalitarianisms - Repression - Expulsion (Papeles the masonería III), Centro Ibérico de Estudios Masónicos, € 12, -. Orders: info_ciem@yahoo.es.

Freemasonry and Fraternalism in Eighteenth-Century Russia, (Sheffield Lectures in the History of Freemasonry and Fraternalism, Vol. 2) CRFF, Sheffield 2009, 20 GBP (approx. € 23 =, -).

Vera Chakmakjian, ‘The Fiftieth Anniversary of The Grand Lodge of Japan (1957-2007)’, CRFF Working Papers 5, available as pdf-download.

Wouter J. Hanegraaff / Joyce Pijnenburg (eds.), Hermes in the Academy: Ten Years Study of Western Esotericism at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam 2009, 163 pp., ISBN 9789056295721, € 32.50.

CRFF lectures online

2009-11-20T16:36:00.000+01:00

The Center for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism at the University of Sheffield regularly offers lecture series, allowing researchers in the field of study to discuss their research. Because not everyone has the opportunity to attend them in person, the CRFF offers these lectures online as audio files. Already available are:

- Professor Margaret Jacob (UCLA), ‘Masonic Secrecy and the Paradox of Modernity: New Archives from 18th Century Bordeaux’,
- CRFF Panel discussion on Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol with Dr. Andreas Onnerfors, Dr. Robert Peter and Dr. Robert Collis,
- Dorothe Summer (University of Sheffield), ‘Conspiracy Masonic Online’.

Listen to the lectures via this link. The coming period the following lectures will be added:

- Robert Collis (University of Sheffield), ‘Chivalric Muses: The Role of Protectresses in Eighteenth-Century Jacobite Fraternities’, November 26, 2009,
- Robert Peter (University of Sheffield), ‘The Image of Freemasonry in Eighteenth-Century British Press’, December 10, 2009.

OVN Research Grant

2009-10-16T15:41:00.003+02:00

The OVN Foundation regularly makes research grants available to students and scholars in the field of the study of freemasonry. Before the end of the year, an new call for candidates will be circulated. In previous years scholars were invited to submit their own research proposals, resulting in a large number of international applications. This time, the grant will be dedicated to a specific purpose: inventorying the historical archive of the Dutch Federation of Le Droit Humain between 1904 and 1949, in order to make this collection accessible for research. As all the relevant material is written in Dutch, this time the application procedure will be open to Dutch candidates only.
In future, the OVN aims to alternate between rewarding grants for original research proposals submitted candidates and dedicating grants to resolving a practical problem or hiatus in the field of study, such as making masonic collections available for research. As the OVN has recently expanded its aims to include western esoteric currents related to freemasonry, a broader scope of research subjects will be accepted in the future. For more information: info@stichtingovn.nl.

Leiden University lectures postponed

2009-09-05T11:33:00.002+02:00

De lecture series on freemasonry, which was to take place at the Leiden University from september onwards, has been postponed.
For more information, please contact the Faculty of Humanities, Mrs. Dr. J.G. Mooi, j.g.mooi@let.leidenuniv.nl, + 31 (0)71 5272570.

New publication: REHMLAC

2009-08-11T14:12:00.002+02:00

The CRF newsletter announces the first issue of a new acedemic online-journal: REHMLAC (Revista de Estudios de la Masoneria Latinoamericana y Caribeña, ISSN 1659-4223). The first volume is a special selection of fifteen papers presented at two conferences in La Habana in 2007 and 2008. Among many other authors are contributions by José Antonio Ferrer Benimeli, Andreas Önnerfors, Eric Saunier and Miguel Guzmán-Stein.

Conference German QC study lodge

2009-08-11T14:01:00.002+02:00

The German study lodge 'Quatuor Coronatí' is hosting a conference on 10 and 11 October 2009 on the theme of 'Religion und religiöse Aufklärung in der Freimaurerei'. This event is also accessible for interested non-members. Speakers are:

- Ronald Pokoyski MA, Jena, 'Erscheinungsformen des Religiösen';
- Prof. Dr. Monika Neugebauer-Wölk, Halle, 'Esoterische Religiosität und ihre Bedeutung für die Freimaurerei';
- Prof. Dr. Jan Snoek, Heidelberg, 'Religion und Religiosität in der „frühen“ Freimaurerei';
- Dr. Mathias Pöhlmann, Berlin, 'Gottesdienst und freimaurerisches Ritual: Überscheidungen, Unterschiede, Gegensätze';
- Prof. Dr. Herbert Schnädelbach, Hamburg, 'Die Bedeutung der Religion in der deutschen Gegenwartsgesellschaft';
- Prof. Dr. Hans-Hermann Höhmann, Köln, 'Zum Religionsdiskurs in der deutschen Freimaurerei';
- Prof. Dr. Eugen Drewermann, Paderborn, 'Wozu Religion?'.

For more information and registration, please contact: Winfried Brinkmann, wibrin@htp-tel.de

Lecture series on freemasonry at the Leiden University

2009-07-07T18:50:00.003+02:00

[Update 5-9-2009: Please note that this lecture series has been postponed.]

The chair for the History of Freemasonry as an Intellectual Current and Socio-cultural Phenomenon at the Leiden University will offer a lecture series after the summer: Freemasonry: Its History of Ideas and Cultural Heritage . The lectures are presented by prof. dr. Malcolm Davies and will this time be offered in the English language in order to allow international students can participate. The program is as follows:

- 11 September: Introduction: What is freemasonry? A short history;
- 18 September: Symbols in freemasonry; an explanation of the most well-known symbols;
- 25 September: The rituals of freemasonry, origin, form and content;
- 2 October: Music and freemasonry; the music of Naumann, Nicolaï, Sibelius, Pijper and others;
- 9 October: The poetry of freemasonry, songs and short poems for lodge use. The longer (celebratory) poems and cantatas;
- 16 October: Plays with freemasonry as a topic; actors and musicians;
- 23 October: Freemasonry in literature, from Telemachus via the ‘Bildungsroman’ to Dutch literature in the 20th century;
- 30 October: Freemasonry and esotericism in art. The tableau. The exhibitions of the ‘Ordre de la Rose-Croix Catholique, de Temple et du Gral’;
- 6 November: Freemasonry and the esoteric in architecture;
- 13 November: Mozart and freemasonry, his cantatas, funeral music and opera;
- 20 November: The history of ideas in freemasonry (1);
- 27 November: The history of ideas in freemasonry (2).

This lecture series is open to both regular students and listeners. On completion students are aware of the structure, symbolism and cultural heritage of freemasonry as an important social phenomenon. They will be aware of the role of freemasonry and related esoteric currents in European society. They have investigated the forms of ritual, writings, music, drama and art of freemasonry from primary sources. In the case of ritual and drama the investigation will include an element of re-creation. Students will gain a knowledge of the most important secondary sources. For assessment students will have the choice of a written examination or a research paper.

Registration is obligatory, participation costs are (for non-students) € 175, -. For further information or to apply please contact the Institute of Religious Studies, Faculty of Humanities: Mrs. Dr. J.G. Mooi, by email j.g.mooi@let.leidenuniv.nl, or by phone: + 31 71 5272570.

Decision on Dutch masonic heritage postponed

2009-07-07T15:52:00.003+02:00

The planned move of the Cultural Masonic Centre from The Hague has (fortunately) been postponed!
As mentioned earlier on this blog, the Order of Freemasons under the Grand East of the Netherlands is planning to move its offices and historical collections to a lodge building elsewhere in the Netherlands. This plan has caused concerns in both masonic and academic circles. Not only because this would sever the nearly 300-year old cultural and historical ties between the collections and The Hague, but would also mean a physical separation from related museum and archive collections, as well as nearby University Chairs for the field of study. The fact that the criteria for proposals to be submitted for the new housing did not include clear guidelines to ensure professional, museum standard facilities for this internationally renowned collection, was especially worrysome.
At the yearly meeting of lodges in 2008 members voted on proposals for the new housing as submitted by delegates of various provinces. The plans from the lodges in Bilthoven and Arnhem were selected to be explored further. Since then, the Grand Lodge has studied these concepts and decided that new facts and changed circumstances were a reason to advice its members to vote against these plans in the yearly meeting of 2009. In June the plans were indeed rejected. Instead, it was decided to form a committee which will take a fresh look at the criteria for the new housing. More importantly, the committee will consider if it is really necessary to house the collection at the same location at the Order's offices, as both have very different needs.
Since the plan was first introduced, the OVN Foundation has made a plea for the cultural and historical importance of the collection, as well as the unbreakable ties with The Hague and the physical needs of this unique Dutch heritage to be the foundation of the decisions process. The OVN is therefore delighted at the news, although the postponement does not take away any of the concerns for the future of the collection. Hopefully the committee will not be limited to include the usual knowleadgable members of the Order, but will also invite independent specialists from the (profane) museum and heritage sector to provide expert advice. Perhaps then the scenario of a looming cultural disaster can still be avoided.

Conference: Hermes in the Academy

2009-07-07T15:33:00.005+02:00

How time flies! It is already ten years ago that the Chair for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents was founded at the University of Amsterdam. During the last decade, the chair has made a considerable contribution to the field of study by setting up a BA- and MA-trajectory on the history of Western Esotericism, by publishing the succesfull Aries journal and book series in cooperation with Brill Academic Publishers, by organizing numerous conferences and by stimulating the foundation of ESSWE. Not to mention the many publications produced by the chair's research team... The chair also supported and joined the activities of the OVN during this time.
To mark this milestone, the chair will host a conference on the theme of Hermes in the Academy on 28th August 2009 in Amsterdam, and will also present a book on the subject.
More information and the full program are available at the chair's website. Please note that early registration is required.

Freemasonry and facism

2009-06-18T18:48:00.004+02:00

The 10th volume of the German academic book series Quellen und Darstellungen zur europäischen Freimaurerei has just been published. The title is: Freimaurerei und europäischer Faschismus.
The relationship between freemasonry and fascism has for a long time been somewhat of a taboo subject, but has more recently become a focus point of researcher in the field of study. The authors of this volume discuss the complex relationship between European fascism, as well as it's differentiation into German National Socialism, Austrian and Itialian fascism, the 'Action française' and Franco's regime in Spain. Fascisme is presented as a European historical phenomenen, which has developed into different branches, which both overlap and differ from each other. With this book the authors aim to fill in a gap in our knowledge of the more recent history of freemasonry.

Publication: Helmut Reinalter (ed.), Freimaurerei und europäischer Faschismus (Quellen und Darstellungen zur europäischen Freimaurerei, Band 10), Studienverlag, Innsbruck/Wien/Bozen 2009, 120 pages, ISBN 978-3-7065-4711-6, € 22.90.

Call for papers CRFF

2009-05-26T19:33:00.003+02:00

The Centre for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism invites papers and panel proposals for a conference at the University of Sheffield on 16 and 17 September 2010. Paper and panel proposals may cover any aspect of the conference theme: 'British freemasonry in the long Eighteenth century', based upon original research. The conference organisers especially encourage submissions from young researchers in the field of study. The deadline for submission of proposals (max. 350 words) is 1 October 2009. For information and registration please contact: Dr. Andreas Önnerfors, a.onnerfors@sheffield.ac.uk.

Swiss masonic library online

2009-05-13T17:08:00.004+02:00

The Bibliotheca Masonica August Belz in Switserland has been working on an online database to facilitate research of its collection. Since March 2009, all titles have been included in the database, which can be searched online here.

Exhibition: Freemasonry and the French Revolution

2009-05-13T16:58:00.005+02:00

The Library and Museum of Freemasonry in London is showing an exhibition on 'Freemasonry and the French Revolution' from 1st July until 18th December 2009. The French Revolution which began in 1789 changed forever the relationship between freemasonry and the state. In England, freemasonry was non-political and the discussion of politics at Masonic meetings was forbidden (as continues to be the situation today) but after 1789 English freemasons had to deal with the consequences of revolutionary politics and Masonic lodges avoided closure only by agreeing to register lists of their members with local authorities. This remained a legal requirement until 1967 when the Labour Government led by Harold Wilson abolished the Unlawful Societies Act. Freemasonry had spread from Britain across continental Europe in the early 1700s and there freemasons were blamed for causing the Revolution and the subsequent political and social unrest which many countries experienced. The suspicion of freemasonry which arose at that time has had a longlasting impact on politics and society. The exhibition traces the impact of the Revolution on freemasonry in England and Europe.
Those unable to visit London may be interested in the Museum's online exhibitions, which are regularly expanded to include new topics.

Conference: Dissemination of masonic practices

2009-05-13T16:44:00.003+02:00

The University of Nice-Sophia Antipoulis hosts a conference on 2 and 3 July 2009 on the subject of 'Diffusions et circulations des pratiques maçonniques en Europe et en Méditerranée, XVIIIe-XIXe siècles'. The full program can be viewed on the Pietre Stones website. Contact information: Centre de la Méditerranée Moderne et Contemporaine-MSH de Nice, cmmc@unice.fr

Call for papers: Women and freemasonry

2009-05-13T15:37:00.003+02:00

The organizers of the upcoming conference 'Women and freemasonry since the Enlightenment' have distributed the following call for papers:

Today women are still largely absent from Masonic lodges. Yet few rational arguments can be summoned to account for such an exclusion. The argument of tradition, which is the most frequently put forward, only holds for Anderson's Constitutions as no such explicit ban against women can be found in the Old Charges. The significance of Elisabeth Aldworth St Leger's initiation by an Irish Lodge is probably more symbolical than historical as it was a single occurrence never repeated. Yet the event was never denied by the Irish masons at the time, although it probably deterred the "brethren" from renewing the experience and mostly reinforced their convictions on the issue of female initiation. Women however did enter the lodges afterwards, first in the lodges of adoption, and later in co-masonry as well as specific female lodges.

The lodges of adoption have sometimes been considered as a low key form of masonry, a kind of ersatz masonry meant to humour women. Yet their importance and significance should not be underplayed as Margaret Jacob and Janet Burke in particular have recently shown. The lodges of adoption which emerged in Holland and France during the Enlightenment highlight the main features of women's commitment in those days, with the same limitations, namely the elitist and aristocratic component. Yet they conveyed some important values, let alone possibly through their rituals, and they allowed women to play an unprecedented part in the public sphere, not unlike the celebrated "French salons".

We may wonder whether those lodges merely reflected the society of their time or whether they anticipated and even encouraged the emancipation of women. How emblematical are they of Enlightenment sociability? Quite significantly the adoption lodges lost lustre at the same time as the Enlightenment. When they emerged again as the Eastern Star in the United States in the following century they were quite different. The nineteenth century Masonic world was predominantly a male one and it would be interesting to find the reasons why. One has to wait till the end of the 19th century to find a female presence again in Masonic lodges with women such as Annie Besant, Madame Blavatsky, Clémence Royer or Louise Michel, sometimes in close connection with the Theosophical Society, as in the case of Annie Besant.

The conference shall endeavour to identify the main evolutions in women's commitment, both through co masonry, which appeared at the end of the nineteenth century and through female lodges which date back to the twentieth century only. All those women fought for equality, but some hoped to reach it alongside with men while others opted for autonomy in separate lodges. We shall try to understand those choices both in terms of structures and rituals. We shall focus on the social composition of co masonry and women's lodges, and try to assess how far they committed themselves to the society of their time or preferred to remain discreet. Women's' lodges developed in some countries only, we shall try to suggest possible explanations for such disparity. Lodges and Grand Lodges as well as individual itineraries will be studied.

The different factors of exclusion need to be addressed:
- the cultural, social and political factor. Is there a direct link between the development of co masonry and women's lodges on the one hand and social progress, women's emancipation and strong feminist movements in the twentieth and twenty first centuries? Why do Scandinavian countries, which have become respectful of women's rights, or the United Kingdom, the Suffragettes' country which enfranchised women long before France, lag behind in terms of female initiation?
- the religious factor. How far does the religious context inform the issue of women's initiation? Can one identify different attitudes in Catholic, Protestant, Islamic or Orthodox countries?
- the Masonic factor : the rift between English speaking freemasonry and "liberal" freemasonry dates back to 1877, when the Grand Orient de France decided to grant complete liberty of conscience to its members instead of imposing a belief in the Supreme being. Curiously enough the issue of women's admission into freemasonry has also been a dividing one ever since that time. English speaking Grand Lodges and their affiliates exclude women, whereas "liberal" ones accept the idea of initiation, even if the statement needs to be qualified for the latter.

Several levels of exclusion can be identified today : women can either be considered as unfit for initiation, which is still officially the case in the United Kingdom, the USA and in all the Grand Lodges which pay allegiance to the United Grand Lodge of England and in the Prince Hall Grand Lodges, or their presence can be accepted and encouraged but in separate organizations, not considered as Masonic but meant to enhance the male lodges through their charity work: this is the case of the Eastern Star chapters. As to the Women Freemasons, they are still deprived of official recognition by the United Grand Lodge of England. Finally, the "liberal" Grand Lodges are themselves divided on the issue of women's admission into the lodges. Some have opted for co masonry; others have put the admission of women on the agenda, while others reject the very notion.
How far can one speak of Masonic universalism, how far does gender inform the Masonic issue? The conference purpose is twofold. It shall address the problem of women's exclusion under its various guises and try to uncover some of the motivations, and it shall also concentrate on the specificity of female freemasonry both in time and space, from the earliest lodges to the modern ones, in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Conversely we shall wonder how feminist criticism has viewed women's freemasonry, from the lodges of adoption to contemporary lodges. The organizers welcome different approaches, and would like the historical and geographical scopes to be broad enough to allow for a better understanding of differences, common points and evolutions.

The conference is the result of cooperation between several research institutes: Lumières Nature Société, Université de Bordeaux 3 sponsored by the Conseil Régional d'Aquitaine; CELFF, CNRS, Université de Paris IV Sorbonne; Laboratoire CIRTAI-IDEES, équipe de l'UMR 6228 (CNRS) Université du Havre; Sheffield Centre for Research into Freemasonry, Université de Sheffield; Centre de recherche sur la franc-maçonnerie; FREE, Université de Bruxelles; Center for the Study of Women, UCLA and Université Sapienza, Rome.

Conference: 'Women and freemasonry since the Enlightenment', 17-19/06/2010, at Bordeaux University and Musée d'Aquitaine. Contact: Cecile.revauger@u-bordeaux3.fr

Call for papers: American Freemasonry

2009-05-06T10:59:00.004+02:00

The National Heritage Museum in Lexington, Massachusetts (USA) announces a call for papers for its first biannual symposium, 'New Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism', to be held on Friday, April 9, 2010 at the Museum.
The National Heritage Museum is an American history museum founded and supported by Scottish Rite Freemasons in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the US. As the repository of the largest collection of American Masonic and fraternal objects, books and manuscripts in the United States, the Museum aims to foster new research on American fraternalism and to encourage the use of its scholarly resources.

The symposium seeks to present the newest research on American fraternal groups from the past through the present day. By 1900, over 250 American fraternal groups existed, numbering six million members. The study of their activities and influence in the United States, past and present, offers the potential for new interpretations of American society and culture. Diverse perspectives on this topic are sought; proposals are invited from a broad range of research areas or any combination of disciplines, and may forcus on any time periods. Possible topics include:

• Comparative studies of American fraternalism and European or other international forms of fraternalism
• Prince Hall Freemasonry and other African-American fraternal groups
• Ethnically- and religiously-based fraternal groups
• Fraternal groups for women or teens
• Role of fraternal groups in social movements
• The material culture of Freemasonry and fraternalism
• Anti-Masonry and anti-fraternal movements, issues and groups
• Fraternal symbolism and ritual
• The expression of Freemasonry and fraternalism through art, music, and literature
• Approaches to Freemasonry – from disciplinary, interdisciplinary, or transnational perspectives; the historiography and methodology of the study of American fraternalism

Proposals for papers of 30 minutes are welcomed. These should include an abstract (max. 400 words), c.v. (max. 2 pages), affiliation and full contact details of the speaker. Deadline for submissions is August 15, 2009. Contact address: mrs. Aimee E. Newell, Senior Curator of Collections, National Heritage Museum, anewell@monh.org.

Scholars at CRFF and UCLA

2009-05-06T10:58:00.000+02:00

The Centre for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism at the University of Sheffield has announced an addition to its scholarly team: Róbert Péter (PhD, University of Szeged, Hungary). He will be a visiting scholar until September 2009, made possible by the British Academy Visiting Fellowship Scheme and an Eötvös Scholarship from the Hungarian government.
Péter's research focuses on ideological aspects of English freemasonry. His thesis on the subject of The Mysteries of English Freemasonry: Janus-Faced Masonic Ideology and Practice Between 1696 and 1815 was completed in 2006. Péter is review editor for the Journal for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism.

The CRFF Newsletter also mentions the award of a post-doctoral fellowship in the history of fraternalism and freemasonry at the History department at the University of California in Los Angeles (USA) to mrs. Natalie Bayer, (Ph.D. Rice University). Bayer's research focusses on Russian freemasonry, and foreign contacts in the period 1750 to 1850. In addition, a Research Assistantship at UCLA will go to Matthew Crow, graduate student in American history with an interest in republicanism and Thomas Jefferson. Both scholars will develop one course each at UCLA on the history of European and American fraternalism and freemasonry.

Chiswick

2009-05-06T10:55:00.004+02:00

The Oxford Architectural History Seminar will be held in St. John's College in Oxford this May. This series of lectures will focus on the famous park and house in Chiswick near London. On 18 May 2009 James Campbell (University of Cambridge) will discuss 'Wren and Freemasonry: separating myth from fact'. More information: geoffrey.tyack@kellogg.ox.ac.uk

New online journal

2009-04-14T10:01:00.002+02:00

The Revista de Estudios Históricos de la Masonería Latinoamericana y Caribeña (REHMLAC) is a new academic electronic open-access journal, which will include Spanish, French, English and Portuguese contributions. The editors are inviting submissions (deadline 20/04/2009). For more information and submissions, please contact: cehmlac@gmail.com

Freemasonry & Fraternalism in the Middle East

2009-04-14T09:55:00.005+02:00

The Centre for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism at the University of Sheffield has announced a new publication:

The volume Freemasonry and Fraternalism in the Middle East comes out of a series of lectures held in the autumn of 2008. The Centre succeeded in attracting leading international specialists to deliver lectures on this hitherto largely neglected field of research. The scope of the papers ranged from the early eighteenth-century up to the beginning of the twentieth-century and included topics related to the Ottoman Empire, Iran and India. Authors are: Thierry Zarcone, Dorothe Sommer, Isaac Lubelsky, Mangol Bayat and Paul Dumont with an introduction and postlude by Andreas Önnerfors.
This is Volume 1 of the new publication series Sheffield Lectures on the History of Freemasonry and Fraternalism.

To view the Table of Contents, access the CRF website under “Publications”. For information about the speakers and abstracts of the papers, access “News and Events”.

Le Droit Humain's historical archive

2009-03-26T12:57:00.006+01:00

The Dutch Federation of the International Order of Mixed Freemasonry 'Le Droit Humain' is preparing the move of its historical library and archives, dating back to the foundation of it's first lodge in 1904. The planned move provided a good opportunity to make a start with the necessary conservation and registration of the collection. The whole archive is transferred to acid-free boxes, and all files are noted in a basic registration, which can be used to make a more detailed inventory at a later date. The OVN Foundation has an advisory rol in this process, and is also assisting the daily work.
At the upcoming national meeting of Le Droit Humain it will be decided where this historical collection will be housed. Options are: realising new housing using the Order's own means or finding room within an existing heritage organisation, where conditions for storage are already available at an optimal level. The possibilities to make the archive between 1904-1945 accessible for research will also be considered.

[Photo 1: The uninventoried archive in it's old depot. Photo 2: All files are wrapped in acid-free archive folders and then transferred to acid-free cardbord boxes, in order to prevent decay.]

Call for book proposals: Suny Press

2009-03-10T14:29:00.001+01:00

The series Western Esoteric Traditions, published by SUNY Press, is now in its twentieth year and contains over fifty volumes. Authors include Antoine Faivre, Wouter Hanegraaff, and Arthur Versluis. The series is currently open to submissions. Send queries or proposals for books to David Appelbaum, series editor, Department of Philosophy, State University College, New Paltz, NY 12561, USA.

AAR conference 2009

2009-03-10T12:08:00.005+01:00

The Western Esotericism Group of the American Academy of Religion is preparing several sessions for the yearly conference, which in 2009 will be held in Montreal, Canada, on 7-10 November.
A first session will discuss the topic of science and Western Esotericism. A persistent theme, particularly in alchemical, pansophic, theosophical, and similar works from the Renaissance to the present is a longing for a universal science that would provide a holistic understanding of the varied dimensions of human experience. Papers will address the topic of esotericism and Western science either from a theoretical point of view or by studying specific historical cases from earliest times to the present. The second session is cosponsored with the Religion, Media, and Culture Group. The chosen topic is the commodification of the esoteric, which will address the way various media, both in the past and present, promote the comodification and consumption of esoteric knowledge. The third session deals with the supernatural and the demonic in popular culture, and is cosponsored with the Religion and Popular Culture Group. More information: Allison P. Coudert (University of California, Davis), apcoudert@ucdavis.edu

Masonic Medals

2009-03-09T22:52:00.004+01:00

The Library and Museum of Freemasonry in London is organising am evening lecture on Wednesday 25th March 2009. In 'Symbolism Made Metal' the curator, Mark Dennis, will talk about a lesser known part of the collection- Masonic medals often produced to commemorate special events or individuals. A special display of these medals will be on show for the evening. For bookings and information: libmus@ugle.org.uk

New publications

2009-03-09T22:42:00.005+01:00

Karlheinz Gerlach, Die Freimaurer im Alten Preußen 1738-1806. Die Logen in Pommern, Preußen und Schlesien, Studienverlag, Innsbruck 2008 (Quellen und Darstellungen zur europäischen Freimaurerei, Band 9), 1032 pages, ISBN 978-3-7065-4383-5. Price: € 144,90. This second book in the series to describe the development, membership and social engagement of German lodges also included annotated membership lists.

Dr. I. Erdtsieck, Maçons met mededogen. De politieke en maatschappelijke invloed van de vrijmetselarij op de samenleving, Uitgeverij gegarandeerd onregelmatig, ISBN: 978-90-78641-13-1. Price: € 19,50. The history of lodge Le Profond Silence in Kampen, described in biographies of seven influential members.

Isabel Martín Sánchez, El mito masónico en la prensa conservador (Vol II), Escuadra y Compás, Tenerife 2008, ISBN: 978-84-8382486-3, 632 Págs. Price € 23,95. Study of anti-masonic attitudes expressed in four important Spanish journals.

'La Franc-maconnerie et la Culture Russe', special issue Slavica Occitania (2007) 24, for resumes of articles see website, including:
- Pierre-Yves Beaurepaire, 'Marie-Daniel Bourrée de Corberon et Karl-Heinrich von Heyking: deux itinéraires maçonniques entre Paris, Varsovie et Saint-Pétersbourg, à la tombée des Lumières';
- Alexandre Stroev, 'Francs-maçons aventuriers et voyageurs au XVIIIe siècle';
- Vladislav Rjéoutski, 'Les Français dans la franc-maçonnerie russe au siècle des Lumières: hypothèses et pistes de recherche';
- Fabian Linde/Sergeï Tchougounnikov, 'Les influences suédoises sur la franc-maçonnerie russe: des “architectes” du Nord parmi les “bâtisseurs” russes';
- Natalia Kotchetkova, 'Les femmes et la franc-maçonnerie russe du XVIIIe siècle et du début du XIXe';
- Hélène Yvert-Jallu, 'La Société Savante Amicale';
- Elena Bespalova, 'Les francs-maçons de Simbirsk au XVIIIe siècle et au début du XIXe';
- Galina Mirolioubova/Irina Oukhanova, 'Objets maçonniques russes de la fin du XVIIIe siècle et du début du XIXe dans les collections de l'Ermitage';
- Mikhail Lepekhine, 'Iakov Ivanovitch de Saint-Glin (1776-1864), franc-maçon pour le service du tsar';
- Jean Breuillard, 'La loge russe de Maubeuge (1817-1818)';
- Philippe Evreinoff, 'La franc-maçonnerie russe et le pouvoir (1698-1825). Des liaisons dangereuses';
- Andreï Serkov, 'Franc-maçonnerie et politique en Russie au début du XXe siècle (1910-1917)';
- Vitali Startsev, 'Les émigrés russes francs-maçons en France (1918-1939)'
- Vsevolod Sakharov, 'Les espérances du vieil Adam: l'homme dans la philosophie des francs-maçons russes';
- Gleb Urman, 'Tchaadaev';
- Alexander Levitsky: 'Mikhaïl Kheraskov aux sources des Lumières russes : l’influence du “Poète de l’immortelle Rossiade” sur Gavriil Derjavine et Nikolaï Novikov';
- Jean Breuillard: 'Bog [Dieu], de Mikhaïl Кheraskov (traduction)';
- Stéphane Viellard: 'Proverbe et franc-maçonnerie. L'expérience du proverbe chez Nikolaï Novikov';
- Rodolphe Baudin: 'La symbolique maçonnique dans Le Gentilhomme philosophe de Fedor Ivanovitch Dmitriev-Mamonov [1769]';
- Leonid Heller: '«Tout est arrangé d'après le nombre», ou les codes ésotériques de Zamiatine';
- Zsuzsa Hetényi: 'Un pont sur la rivière. Code maçonnique et code dantesque dans le roman de Vladimir Nabokov La Défense Loujine';
- Jean Breulliard: publications: 'Cantiques maçonniques russes en langue française'/'Un incident à la loge du Sphinx Mourant';
- Irina Ivanova: Bibliographie sommaire.

Call for papers: CMRC 2009

2009-03-09T22:07:00.003+01:00

The Canonbury Masonic Research Centre has announced a call for papers for its eleventh international annual conference on 24-25 October 2009:The origins of Freemasonry. Scholars of all disciplines are invited to submit ideas for papers on sociological, political, cultural, religious, esoteric and prosopographical themes relating to early Freemasonry. Papers can be wide ranging in content or more narrowly focused, however, all should be fully documented as the CMRC plans to publish a volume of post conference transactions. All proposals for papers (max. 250-300 words) should include contact details and a short CV. The deadline for all submissions is 24 June 2009. For further information please contact the conference organiser at: biee@btinternet.com

Vacancy: Assistant Professor Western esotericism

2009-03-02T19:25:00.003+01:00

The Center for “History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents” (GHF) at the University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Humanities, is looking for:

An Assistant Professor (m/f)
History of Western Esotericism in the Early Modern Period

The Center for “History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents” (Geschiedenis van de Hermetische Filosofie en verwante stromingen; GHF) at the University of Amsterdam (www.amsterdamhermetica.nl) is a pioneering institution for research and teaching in the academic study of Western Esotericism. It concentrates in particular on the history of Renaissance Platonism and Hermetism, prisca theologia and occulta philosophia in the early modern period and their later developments; alchemical, magical, astrological, Paracelsian and Rosicrucian currents; Jewish and Christian kabbalah; Christian theosophy and Illuminism; and various occultist and related developments during the 19th and 20th centuries, including the New Age movement.

GHF has currently a vacancy for the position of Assistant Professor (“Universitair Docent”) for the History of Western Esotericism in the Early Modern Period. A successful candidate will have a good record of high quality academic publications focused on one or more currents in this domain, and solid general knowledge of the domain as a whole. As a generalist in the study of Western Esotericism in the Early Modern Period s/he can teach all its main aspects on both undergraduate and graduate levels.
- Research. The Assistant Professor will be expected to initiate personal research projects in the field of esoteric currents in Western culture since the Renaissance, focusing on the early modern period (15th-18th cent.), and to publish actively in the appropriate scholarly media. S/he will also be expected to collaborate in common research activities with the other staff members of the subdepartment, and with staff members of other departements of the Faculty if the occasion calls for it.
- Teaching. GHF offers a “minor” Western esotericism in the context of the Bachelor program Religious Studies (in Dutch), and a full-time trajectory “Mysticism and Western Esotericism” in the context of the Master program Religious Studies (in English). The Assistant Professor will be expected to teach courses in both programs, both in lecture and in seminar settings. If necessary, s/he is expected to master the Dutch language during the first two years of the appointment.
- Organization/Administration. Within reasonable limits the Assistant Professor may be asked to be active in one or more special committees of the Faculty.

Candidates should fit the following profile:
- Ph.D. (or equivalent) in a discipline of the humanities.
- Specialization in, or relevant to, one or more areas of historical research belonging to the domain of “Western esotericism” in the early modern period (15th-18th century), having resulted in academic publications of high quality.
- Active interest in interdisciplinary research and teamwork in the context of the humanities and the social sciences.
- Good didactic qualities.
- Good command of Latin and English non-native Dutch speakers must achieve fluency in Dutch within two years.
- Willingness to develop in a multidisciplinary capacity in order to be able to participate in multiple areas of the Faculty's curriculum.

Appointment: this is a temporary appointment for two years, starting on 1 September 2009. Satisfactory performance is subject for a permanent appointment. The gross monthly salary will range from € 3195 (scale 11) to € 4970 (scale 12), based on a full-time appointment (38 hours a week).

Deadline for letters of application: 23 March 2009. Letters of application, with C.V. and list of publications, should be sent to: Prof. Dr. W.J. Hanegraaff, Fac. Of Humanities/Department of Art, Religion and Cultural Studies, Oude Turfmarkt 147, NL-1012 GC Amsterdam, The Netherlands, w.j.hanegraaff@uva.nl. For general information, contact Mrs. H. Nobach (secretary) at the same address, or by e-mail: hermetica-fgw@uva.nl.

More bloggers!

2009-02-25T15:49:00.004+01:00

The Chair for the freemasonry as an intellectual current and socio-cultural European phenomenon at the Leiden University has started a new blog. We have added the link to the list of blogs in the field of study in the column on the right hand side of this page.
Do you know a blog which also deserves to be added? Please feel free to let us know: info@stichtingovn.nl

Mechanics

2009-02-25T15:23:00.001+01:00

In an earlier message on this blog, we've announced the new publication by OVN board member dr. Jan Snoek (Heidelberg University: Ritual Dynamics in the Independent United Order of Mechanics (Forum Ritualdynamik 16); Heidelberg: SFB 619 Ritualdynamik der Ruprecht-Karls Universität Heidelberg (x + 80).
The publication can be downloaded from the following link:
http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/frontdoor.php?source_opus=8973. Click on 'pdf-Format: Dokument 1.pdf (30.838 KB)'. The file will then download and open on the screen, after which it can be saved to the computer hard disk.

OVN board members

2009-02-23T16:50:00.004+01:00

There have been some changes in the board of the OVN Foundation earlier this year. Drs. Anat Harel stepped back as board member on 1 January 2009. Her PhD fellowship at the Leiden University was concluded. Harel is currently working at the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam on a project which will integrate the collections with the Digital Monument for the Jewish Community in the Netherlands. This is why she has taken a break from the subject of freemasonry for now. The remaining board members are very gratefull for her support in previous years and wish her success in her new endeavors.

The vacancy has since been filled by André Hanou, emeritus professor at in Early Dutch Literature at the Nijmegen University. Hanou specializes in Ditch literature of the Enlightenment, including the works of Johannes Kinker and Jacob Campo Weyerman. His publications on the history of freemasonry within that context include:

- De Naakte Waarheyt der Vrije Metselaars. Teksten van de 18de eeuwse schrijver Jacob Campo Weyerman over de Vrijmetselarij (The Naked Truth of Free Masons. Texts by the 18th century author Jacob Campo Weyerman), Introduction by André Hanou, Fama Masonic Publishers 2004;
- ‘Aandachtspunten bij onderzoek naar vrijmetselarij in Nederland’ (Focus points in research of freemasonry in the Netherlands), in: Andrea Kroon (ed.), Vrijmetselarij in Nederland. Een kennismaking met de wetenschappelijke studie van een ‘geheim’ genootschap, (Conference 14 March 2003, University of Leiden) Stichting OVN, Den Haag 2003, 51-58;
- 'Weyerman en de Vrijmetselarij, Een bouwsteen’ (Weyerman and freemasonry. A building block), Mededelingen St. Jacob Campo Weyerman 26 (2003) 49-58;
- ‘Kumpels adem. Ontstaan en vergaan van Concordia Vera, 1787-1790’ (Kumpels breath. The emergence and fall of lodge Concordia Vera, 1787-1790), Acta macionica 7 (1997), 375-385;
- Onder de acacia. Studies over de Nederlandse vrijmetselarij en vrijmetselaarsloges vóór 1830 (Beneath the acacia. Studies on Dutch freemasonry and masonic lodges before 1830), Astraea, Leiden 1997 (Paddemoesreeks 3);
- ‘De Vrijmetselarij in stukken’ (Freemasonry in pieces), in: D.P. de Graaf, E.P. Kwaadgras, D.C.J. van Peype (red.), De stijl der Vrije Metselaren, Een maçonniek platenboek, ‘s-Gravenhage 1996, 20-23;
- ‘De Loge Parterre’ (The lodge on ground level), in: Anton van de Sande en Joost Rosendaal (red.), ‘Een stille leerschool van deugd en goede zeden’. Vrijmetselarij in Nederland in de 18e en 19e eeuw, Verloren, Hilversum 1995, 41-61;
- ‘Drift en deugd. Literatuur van vrijmetselaars in de loge Vicit Vim Virtus voor 1830’ (Vice and virtue. Literature of freemasons in the lodge Vicit Vim Virtus before 1830), in: W. van den Berg/Henk Eijssens/Ton van Kalmthout (red.), Haarlemse kringen. Vijftien verkenningen naar het literair-culturele leven in een negentiende-eeuwse stad, Hilversum 1993, 27-46;
- Sluiers van Isis. Johannes Kinker als voorvechter van de Verlichting, in de vrijmetselarij en andere Nederlandse genootschappen (The veils of Isis. Johannes Kinker as a champion of the Enlightenment, in freemasonry and other societies), Deventer 1988 (Dissertation Nijmegen, 2 dln);
- many articles in the masonic study magazine Thoth, including the series ‘Beelden van de vrijmetselarij’ (Images of freemasonry).

Hanou is co-founder of the journal Spektator (1971), the Jacob Campo Weyerman Foundation(1977) and Astraea Publishers(1994). He writes columns for AmsterdamFM radio station and the Herkauwer blog. His knowledge and experience in the field of study are a welcome addition to the board of the OVN.

Call for papers: Enlightenment and Esotericism

2009-02-08T10:38:00.004+01:00

The next International Conference of the DFG Research Group 'The Enlightenment in the referential Context of modern Esotericism (Die Aufklärung im Bezugsfeld neuzeitlicher Esoterik)' will address the theme Enlightenment and Esotericism – Ways into Modernity. The call for papers is as follows:

'Following the conferences “Enlightenment and Esotericism” (Aufklärung und Esoterik) in 1997 at the Herzog-August Library in Wolfenbüttel and “Esotericism in the Enlightenment” (Esoterik in der Aufklärung) in 2006 at the IZEA, now a third conference on this subject will pose the question: To what extent can the multi-faceted relationship between Enlightenment and Esotericism in the eighteenth century be considered as constitutive for Modernity?
The influence of the Enlightenment on Modernity has been much postulated and is an intrinsic constituent in the self-validation of Modernity. At the same time it is clear that Esotericism has also played an important role, right up to the present day. Yet what has been little known up to now is just what significance the mutual reciprocity between Enlightenment and Esotericism in the eighteenth century (and the resulting transformations from this relationship) have had.
Esotericism, as an aggregate of different historical streams of thought, can be identified through the reception of Hermeticism, Neo-Platonism and Cabbala, as well as through the assimilation of the so-called old sciences of Alchemy, Magic and Astrology from the Renaissance on. During the course of the Early Modern period, related movements such as Paracelsianism, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy and Freemasonry developed out of these streams of thought. As the first two conferences have shown, these various esoteric currents continued to have an impact during the Enlightenment, whether they were negated, integrated or transformed.
What role then did the Enlightenment play in the rise of “modern” Esotericism? What about the Enlightenment itself, which developed its profile not least by engaging with esoteric streams of thought? Through which paths – whether through continual or interrupted transmission – did the resulting manifestations of the encounter between the Enlightenment and Esotericism arrive at the later Modern period? What accounts for the affinity between Modernity and the artistic-literary, philosophical, theological, scientific or historical-political expressions of the exchange between Enlightenment and Esotericism?
The conference Enlightenment and Esotericism – Ways into Modernity would like to dedicate itself to these questions. Contributions are encouraged from all history-oriented disciplines which investigate the major issues, which reflect on methodical approaches to answering the questions posed or which offer concrete case studies for discussion. The main focus will be on the “long eighteenth century,” that is, on topics dealing with the age of the Enlightenment itself as well as on topics addressing the transition into the first decades after 1800. Nonetheless contributions which treat the nineteenth or twentieth centuries exclusively are also welcome if they take the main theme of the conference into consideration.
Proposals are requested by 31/03/2009 and should include a lecture title, a short abstract of one-half to a full page and a brief vita. Please address all submissions to: IZEA, Franckeplatz 1/54, D–06110 Halle, izea@izea.uni-halle.de'.

Conference: 'Enlightenment and Esotericism – Ways into Modernity', 9-12/03/2010, Interdisciplinary Center for European Enlightenment Studies Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für die Erforschung der Europäischen Aufklärung (IZEA), Halle, Germany.

Free Gardeners

2009-01-21T15:05:00.004+01:00

Cascade, a Dutch Society for the Study of Garden History, has taken the initiative to form a study group: The Free Gardeners (Vrije Tuinlieden). This study group focuses on 'the relationship between freemasonry and garden design in Dutch cultural history'. Meetings are held three times per year, two accompagnied by lectures and one combined with a visit to a relevant garden. Hopefully this initiative will shed a new light on this relatively unknown category of gardens in the Netherlands.

Lecture Ars Macionica

2008-12-14T12:17:00.005+01:00

The Belgian Lodge of Research Ars Macionica organizes a (public) lecture each year. In 2009, this will take place on 28 februari in Brussels. The invited speaker is drs. Andréa Kroon, chairwoman of the OVN Foundation. She will discuss the theme of her PhD-research at the Department of Art History at the Leiden University on the subject of Freemasonry in Asia: lodges as a socio-econical network in the 18th and 19th century?. The lecture is in Dutch. Information: Kristiaan.Thys@just.fgov.be.

Lodge collection management

2008-12-14T11:57:00.004+01:00

Although the central collections of masonic orders are usually cared for by the national Grand Lodge, many individual lodges also house historical collections. These private collections are vulnerable and require professional care, which can pose both a practical and financial problem to their owners. Lodges of other fraternal and esoteric organizations experience the same problems, and have the same wish to preserve their heritage and make it accessible to members and students. But within their own organizations, the necessary practical know-how and financial means are often lacking.
This is why the OVN organized a practical course on preventive conservation, collection management and heritage subsidies for lodges on 12 December 2008. It was attended by 21 participants from both masculine and mixed masonic Orders in the Netherlands, and the Dutch association of Spiritualists, Harmonia. Having established that there is a need for this kind of information, the OVN intends to publish a brochure with practical information for lodges on how to care for their archives, libraries and object collections, including do's and dont's, addresses of suppliers of conservation materials, and information on relevant subsidies. In 2009, a practical course will be organized on the theme of heritage subsidies, offering practical assitance with the application process in order for individual lodges to secure funding for the conservation of their collections.

Reviewers wanted for JRFF

2008-11-10T15:52:00.005+01:00

The new Journal for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism (announced in an earlier post on this blog) is seeking reviews of recent works dealing with any aspect of freemasonry and fraternalism.
English or French reviews of circa 500-750 words should provide a critical summary of the chosen book and place its findings in the context of current academic research. More in-depth review essays dealing with several books on a given subject are also welcome.
If you are interested in contributing a review, please contact the review editor at rpeter@lit.u-szeged.hu. The deadline for review submissions is 25th January, 2009.

Website: Pietre Stones

2008-11-09T12:05:00.002+01:00

More and more literature on the history of freemasonry is being made available on the net, for instance on the Italian website Pietre Stones, Review of Freemasonry. The site provides reprints of articles by academic researchers, as well as online versions or pdf-files of 18th century exposures on freemasonry. It also makes the work of well-known 19th and 20th century authors, such as Gould and Mackey, available to a wide audience.
There are some points of criticism: first time visitors might have some trouble navigating the site, and making a clear distionction between articles with academic and masonic viewpoints is left to the reader. But the continual expansion of the information adds to the importance of this site for students and scholars.

Conference: The Expression of Freemasonry

2008-09-19T19:27:00.013+02:00

The Chair for Freemasonry as an Intellectual Current and Socio-cultural European Phenomenon (The Leiden Institute of Religious Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University) has recently appointed music historian Malcolm Davies as its new professor. Professor Davies' inaugural lecture will take place on 25 November 2008 at the Leiden University. From September to December the chair will offer a series of lectures on the history of Dutch freemasonry for students, which is also open to other participants. The chair is also organizing an international conference on the theme of The Expression of Freemasonry: Its oratory, poetry, music, literature, art and architecture on 27-28 November 2008.

The event will be opened by drs. Diederik van Rossum, Grand Master of The Grand East of The Netherlands. Speakers are:

- Prof. Dr. Natalie Bayer, (Trinity University, San Antonio, USA), Masonic Influences on the Emergence of National Russian Literature: Eighteenth-Century Case Studies,
- Dr. J.K. Birksted (The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, UK), Le Corbusier, the Parisian Avant-Garde and Freemasonry: problems of interpretation, - Prof. Dr. David Bjelajac (George Washington University, USA), Freemasonry and the Alchemy of John Singleton Copley’s Watson and the Shark,
- Diane Clements (Library and Museum of Freemasonry, London, UK), Victorian illustrations of freemasonry,
- Dr. Giovanna Costantini (Universities of New York, Michigan, USA/American Academy of Rome), A Merry Death: Nicolai Evreinov and the Theatre of Transformation ,
- John Crow (University of Amsterdam), Duncan’s Royal Arch Ritual as a possible framework for Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’,
- Prof. Dr. James Stevens Curl (The Queen’s University Of Belfast, UK), Imagery associated with Mozart’s Masonic works: stage-sets and their sources,
- Prof. Dr. Malcolm Davies (Chair for the Study of Freemasonry as an Intellectual Current and a Socio-cultural European Phenomenon, Leiden University, The Netherlands), title to be announced,
- Dr. Max de Haan (Editor in Chief of Thoth, The Netherlands), Friendly Societies and Freemasonry,
- Pauline van den Heuvel (Independent Researcher, The Netherlands), Performing Artists and Freemasonry in Amsterdam, 1795-1844,
- Jimmy Koppen MA (Free University, Brussels /FREE, Interdisciplinary Research Group Freemasonry, Belgium), The Masonic Network around the Royal Flemish Theatre in Brussels from 1875,
- Drs. Andréa Kroon (University of Leiden/OVN Foundation, the Netherlands), The Origins of George Washington’s apron: Myth or Reality?,
- Leonard H. Lubitz MA (City University of New York, USA), Masonic Symbolism and Architecture in American Cities,
- Aimee E. Newell (National Heritage Museum, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA), King Solomon’s Temple Samplers: An Expression of Shared Ideals,
- Dr. Andreas Önnerfors (Centre for Research into Freemasonry, University of Sheffield, UK), title to be announced,
- Dr. Andrew Pink (UCL, London, UK), Patrons, Performers and Politics: Freemasons in Early Eighteenth-century London Theatres,
- Prof. Dr. Jeffrey Thyssens (Free University Brussels/ FREE, Interdisciplinary Research Group Freemasonry, Belgium), Masonic Tombstones.

The conference has the support of masonic organizations, such as The Order of Freemasons under the Grand East of The Netherlands, The Dutch Masonic Study Fund (MSF), and The Cultural Masonic Centre ‘Prince Frederik’ (CMC), as well as academic organizations, including The Foundation for the Advancement of Academic Research into the History of Freemasonry in The Netherlands (OVN), The Leiden Institute for the Study of Religions (LISOR) and departments in other universities.

Costs (incl. coffee/lunch/reception): two days € 110,- (students € 45,-). Conference Location: The International School of The Hague, The Netherlands. For more information and registration: f.m.conference.leiden08@gmail.com

Future of the CMC

2008-09-16T21:33:00.003+02:00

Earlier this year, the Order of Freemasons under the Grand East of the Netherlands announced plans to move its administrative headquarters and historical collections (library, archive and museum) to a ‘central location in the Netherlands’ by 2011. It invited the representative bodies of lodges in each province to submit a proposal for a ‘National Masonic Center’: a combined Freemason’s Hall, national headquarters and collection facility. The plan will have a significant impact on the future of the historical collections, currently housed in the Cultural Masonic Centre ‘Prins Frederik’ in The Hague (C.M.C.).

The Regio-Convent Den Haag (the body representing all lodges in and around The Hague) requested a formal advice on the future of the collections of the OVN foundation. The OVN provided a report, which underlined the great importance of these collections as cultural heritage on a national level, as well as a significant study collection on an international level.
The report was in places critical of the policies of the Order regarding the conservation, heritage management and public function of its collections, housed in the C.M.C. It further pointed out, that the collection had historically grown in The Hague since 1734, as the Order was founded here and remained closely tied to the Dutch Royal family and government, as well as numerous prominent historical figures and organizations based in this city. The collection is historically, physically and logically inextricably bound to The Hague. It forms a 'fitting puzzle piece' to the collections of the nearby National Library, National Archives, the Royal Family Archive and Museum Meermanno in The Hague, which all keep archives of historical figures and organizations which were involved in the Order. To move the C.M.C. to another location in another part of the country would 'rip' the collection from its historical and geographical context and sever ties with related collections and heritage organizations, but also move it further away from the Leiden University chair for the study of freemasonry.
The report proposed the development of a stable, long-term vision for professional heritage management, such as: cooperation with academic and professional heritage organizations; applying for heritage and cultural subsidies; realizing a more professional level of conservation and exploitation, as well as extending the public and academic function of the collections in the intended National Masonic Centre. In order to do so, the collections could be housed separately from the Order's headquarters and lodge rooms and form an independent organizational unit. A strong plea was made to re-examine the relocation plans, as the available options in The Hague (such as remaining in the current location, acquiring other accommodation in The Hague, or even sharing accommodation with nearby heritage institutions and university collections) have not been considered.

The Regio-Convent Den Haag carefully considered the report. However, it decided not to present a relocation plan, but instead made a strong plea for postponement of the plan. Unfortunately, this plea was rejected at the yearly meeting of the Grand Lodge and its lodges in June 2008. Of the proposals of other provinces, the plans for relocation to Bilthoven or Arnhem will now be discussed in more detail at next year's meeting, implying the loss of the collections for The Hague.
Scholars in the field of study are alarmed and concerned about these events. Most of the voting lodge members are unfamiliar with the history and contents of the collection, as well as the complex factors involved in heritage conservation and collection management. Although the decision process is democratic and the decision about a private collection obviously lies with its owners, the future of unique and important national heritage is at stake here. One would expect heritage organizations or deparments to have been involved as external advisors at an early stage of any relocation plans of a collection of this size and international importance.
Hopefully, other options will be considered before a final decision is made in June 2009. As several other Dutch masonic Orders have indicated that they are considering new plans for their historical collections, the OVN foundation is calling for a joint effort to form a professional heritage centre in The Hague.