Grand Lodge

Grand Lodge, Grand Orient, including: obedience or obedience are the umbrella organizations, in which the individual lodges (associations ) are represented.

Freemasonry

Freemasonry has no central governing body, but is divided into separate, independent, civic associations ( Freemasons ), who join together in federations, which take over the international representation for the connected among them Masonic lodges. As an umbrella organization, the members ( lodges ) elect a chairman, the Grandmaster. For the management of the Grand Lodge ( correspondence, accounting, speeches) and for ceremonial functions ( lodges ups, tributes ) to the Grand Master of the Grand Officers are called to the side. In addition to officials such as the secretary and treasurer wholesale that also exist in other societies, it is in particular the case- warden and the Grand - Master of Ceremonies, who are responsible for the ritual tasks. These umbrella organizations need a recognition by older umbrella organizations to be recognized as a Grand Lodge of Freemasonry. So the diplomatic recognition between States worldwide was a system of mutual recognition, comparable.

As the first Grand Lodge of the world, in 1717 the Grand Lodge of England founded in London. In the early years, these were merely an annual meeting of the Worshipful Master, and 1721 John, Duke of Montagu was elected the first Grand Master and the Grand Lodge slowly taking the form known today. 1725 the Grand Lodge of Ireland and 1736 the Grand Lodge of Scotland founded. With the Grand Loge Anglaise de France in 1743, the first " offshoot " of the English Grand Lodge, a Provincial Grand Lodge was formed. As this 1755 renamed itself independent and declared in Grand Loge de France, the first independent Grand Lodge was formed on the European continent. From the Grand Lodge of England was formed by division and reunification of the present United Grand Lodge of England.

Based on these umbrella organizations today organized Freemasonry in the world of the UGLoE "regular " recognized as Freemasonry and emanating from the origin GOdF liberal Freemasonry.

European Grand Lodges before the Second World War

The names of the Grand Lodge and the cities about 1930 standard and can, in particular for names of towns, from the present form differ.

See also: History of Freemasonry

Rosicrucians

In modern Rosicrucianism of AMORC one speaks well of lodges and Grand Lodges. Here, however, the context is defined somewhat differently than in Freemasonry. So every jurisdiction that is divided according to language areas, subject to a Grand Lodge. Your turn is subject to the management of the different lodges, chapters, Pronai and atriums in the various jurisdictions. The supreme body is the Supreme Grand Lodge, which are subordinated to all jurisdictions.