Who we are
Freemasonry was brought to Sweden by Count Axel Wrede-Sparre, a Cavalry
Officer who during service in France had become a Freemason. After returning to
Sweden he brought together some friends who like himself had been made
Freemasons abroad. In 1735, he inititated and passed his brother-in-law Count
Carl Gustaf Tessin in Stockholm. Most of the Brethren joining Wrede-Sparre’s
Lodge belonged to the higher nobility. The meetings seem to have ceased at the
end of the 1740s.
At the beginning of the 1750s there were quite a large number of Freemasons in
Sweden who had been initiated by Wrede-Sparre or abroad. Count Knut Posse
established the Lodge St Jean Auxiliaire (St John the Baptist) in 1752.
Wrede-Sparre and most of the Brethren of his Lodge joined the Lodge St Jean and
Wrede-Sparre handed over his rituals and other documents to the new Lodge.
The Lodge St Jean was called ”Mother-Lodge of Sweden” and considered itself
entitled to issue warrants to other Lodges in the country and in Finland, which
was a part of Sweden at that time. Count Carl Fredrik Scheffer who had been
made a Freemason in Paris in 1737, was elected National Grand Master in 1753.
During the 1750s, the Lodges opened their doors to members of other classes of
society than the nobility.
In 1756, Carl Fredrik Eckleff together with six Brethren formed the Scottish
Lodge L’Innocente in Stockholm, working in so called Scottish St Andrew´s
degrees. The next step in the development of Swedish Freemasonry was taken by
Eckleff in 1759, when he established a Grand Chapter in Stockholm. Eckleff who
was an employee of the Swedish Foreign Office, held a foreign patent
authorizing him to found lodges. It has not been possible to ascertain the date
and place of origin of the patent and of the rituals. The Grand Lodge of Sweden
was established in 1760.
The Swedish Rite
Eckleff established a Freemasonry system on a Christian basis. The moral philosophy of the Swedish Rite was further developed by Duke Carl, later King Carl XIII, who succeeded to Eckleff as the Swedish Masonic leader. By two major ritual revisions in 1780 and 1800 he created a logical Masonic system with ten degrees. The Rite is truly progressive and continuous. Each degree leads to the next and each sums up the contents of the preceding degrees. The system is grouped into three divisions as follows:
St John’s degrees (Craft):
I Apprentice
II
Fellow Craft
III Master
Mason
St Andrew’s (Scottish) degrees:
IV-V Apprentice-Companion of St
Andrew
VI Master of
St Andrew
Chapter degrees
VII Very
Illustrious Brother
VIII Most
Illustrious Brother
IX
Enlightened Brother
X Very Enlightened
Brother
On top of the system is
Most Enlightened Brother, Knight Commander of the Red Cross. R&K
There are currently about 80 Knight Commenders of the Red Cross (35 in
active duty)
They are present or past members of the Grand Council or Grand Officers.
In 1811, King Carl established the Royal Order of King Carl XIII. It is a
civil order, still conferred by the King, only to Freemasons holding the
R&K with the number limited to 33. It is, however, not a Masonic degree.
Progression from one degree to the next is no easy matter and is far from
automatic. A Brother has to be regular in attendance and to give proof of his
knowledge of Freemasonry.
All of the Grand Masters belonged to the Royal House from 1774 up to 1997, when
Prince Bertil, Grand Master since 1973, died. King Carl XVI Gustaf is the High
Protector of the Swedish Order of Freemasons, but not a Mason himself.
Grand Master since 2019 is Christer Persson.
Bååt’s palace in Stockholm, an impressive building from 1666 and carefully
extended in 1874–77, functions as the Masonic Temple of the Swedish Order of
Freemasons.
Present organization
At present there are 58 Craft Lodges, 28 Lodges working the St Andrew’s degrees, two Steward Lodges, eight Chapters and one Lodge of Research. There are 66 Fraternal Societies, usually at smaller towns. In Finland there are seven Lodges working the Craft degrees and three Fraternal Societies under the Swedish Order of Freemasons. There is also two Lodges working the St Andrew’s degrees, one Steward Lodge and one Grand Chapter in Helsinki.
There are about 12 600 Freemasons in Sweden and about 1 400 in Finland under the Swedish Order of Freemasons. As lodges are few in number, there is usually quite a number of members in a Swedish lodge. Only men of Christian faith are admitted.
The Worshipful Master of a Lodge is usually appointed for a period of six years. However, a compulsory retirement age of 75 is strictly enforced for all office bearers.
The Swedish Rite is worked in Sweden/Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. In Germany a Grand Lodge, Grosse Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland, is working rituals based on Carl Friedrich Eckleff’s documents from 1760, but otherwise have few similarities to the Swedish Rite.
Members and Lodges
The constituted Swedish Order of Freemasons (The Grand Lodge of Sweden) is responsible for all Masonic activity in Sweden. It also operates in the western parts of Finland.
There are approximately 14 000 registered Freemasons in Sweden and Finland, subject to the authority and direction of the Swedish Order of Freemasons. In these areas, Freemasonry is strictly Christian, only men committed to the Christian faith are admitted. All ritual work strictly follows the accepted Swedish Rite. This consists of ten degrees, three conferred in St. John’s (S:t Johannes) Craft Lodges, three in St. Andrew’s Lodges (S:t Andreas) and four in Chapters.
Freemasons in Sweden and Finland are permitted to join Fraternal Societies (Brödraföreningar). These Brotherhood groups pursue instruction in Masonic principles and various rituals. They do not normally, confer degrees. Most are situated in small towns.
The necessity for such an organisation is directly attributable to the geography of Sweden (approximately three times the land area of Britain, with a small population of 10 million).
In the smaller towns where Freemasons are relatively few in numbers as to make it impracticable to establish a Lodge proper, the Fraternal Societies afford the enthusiastic Freemasons the opportunity to pursue their committment to the Order, improve their individual knowledge, permit fraternal contact and organise group visits to Lodges within reasonable geographical distance.
Masters of Lodges can retain office for as long as six years. However, a compulsory retirement age of 75 is strictly enforced. Wardens and Treasurer of a Lodge are elected annually. Other office bearers are appointed annually by the Worshipful Master.
Organisation
His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf is the High Protector of the Swedish Order of Freemasons.
The current Sovereign Grand Master is Christer Persson. The Sovereign Grand Master is supported by the collective wisdom of the Grand Council, headed by the Pro Grand Master.
Sovereign Grand Master
M.W. Christer Persson
The Grand Council has the following members:
M.W. Magnus Jäderlund, Deputy Grand Master of the Order/M.W. Master of the Grand Chapter
M.W. Magnus Engström, Assistant Grand Master of the Order/R.W. Deputy Master of the Grand Chapter
R.W. Christian Storck, Grand Chancellor and Keeper of the Seal
R.W. Michael Boström, Deputy Grand Chancellor and Keeper of the Seal
R.W. Johnny Hagberg, Grand Chaplain
R.W Björn Börsbo, Grand Inspector
R.W. Per Werner, Provincial Grand Master, Skånska Provincial Grand Lodge
R.W. Rolf Prag, Grand Banner Bearer
R.W. Henrik Wikström, Provincial Grand Master, Grand Chapter of Finland
Anders B Johansson, acting Provincial Grand Master, Östgöta Provincial Grand Lodge
R.W Jan Resby, Provincial Grand Master, Mellersta Norrlands Provincial Grand Lodge
R.W. Tommy Nilsson, Grand Administrator
R.W. Per Arosenius, Provincial Grand Master, Svea Provincial Grand Lodge
R.W. Gillis Edman, Provincial Grand Master, Göta Provincial Grand Lodge
R.W. Sven-Olof Grenholm, Provincial Grand Master – Övre Norrlands Provincial Grand Lodge
R.W. Sune Lindh, Grand Instructor
R.W. John Fahlnaes, Grand Architect
R.W. Pelle Björklund, Grand Treasurer
R.W. Magnus Arpi, Provincial Grand Master, Värmländska Provincial Grand Lodge
R.W. Måns Jungner, Grand Marshal
The Chancellery:
R.W. Fredrik Bister, Grand Secretary
Mats Hanson, Secretary for Foreign Relations
M.W. = Most Worshipful
R.W. = Right Worshipful
History
Freemasonry in Sweden has a long and intriguing historical background starting as early as 1735.
Freemasonry was brought to Sweden by Count Axel Wrede-Sparre, a Cavalry Officer who during service in Paris had become a Freemason. After returning to Sweden he brought together some friends who like himself had been made Freemasons abroad. In 1735, he inititated and passed his brother-in-law Count Carl Gustaf Tessin in Stockholm. Most of the brethren joining Wrede-Sparre’s Lodge belonged to the higher nobility. The meetings appear to have ceased at the end of the 1740s.
At the beginning of the 1750s there were quite a large number of Freemasons in Sweden who had been initiated by Wrede-Sparre or abroad. Count Knut Posse established the Lodge St. Jean Auxiliaire (John the Baptist) in 1752. Wrede-Sparre and most of the brethren in his Lodge joined the Lodge St. Jean. He handed over rituals and other documents of his Lodge to St. Jean.
The Lodge St. Jean was called “Mother-Lodge of Sweden” and considered itself entitled to issue warrants to other Lodges in the country. Count Carl Fredrik Scheffer who had been made a Freemason in Paris in 1737, was elected National Grand Master in 1753. During the 1750s, the Lodges opened their doors to members of other classes of society than the nobility.
In 1756, Carl Fredrik Eckleff together with six brethren formed the Scottish Lodge L’Innocente in Stockholm, working so called Scottish St. Andrew’s degrees. The next step in the development of Swedish Freemasonry was taken by Eckleff in 1759, when he established a Grand Chapter in Stockholm.
Eckleff who was an employee of the Swedish Foreign Office, held a foreign patent authorizing him to form Lodges. It has not been possible to ascertain the origin of the patent and of the rituals. The Grand Lodge of Sweden was established in 1760, and it was recognized as a National Grand Lodge in 1770 by the Grand Lodge of England.
Eckleff established a Freemasonry system on a Christian basis. The moral philosophy of the Swedish rite was further developed by Duke Carl, later King Carl XIII who succeded Eckleff as the Swedish Masonic Leader.
By two major ritual revisions in 1780 and 1800 he created a logical Masonic system with ten degrees.
Freemasonry in Sweden has continued to develop under leadership of their Grand Masters, all of them belonging to the Royal House since more than 200 years.