JanneProeliator
Registered User
I promissed on another thread to write brief history of freemasonry in Finland now that we are on closing on 100th year since the start of Suomi #1 lodge.
Freemasonry originally came to Finland in 1763 when the S:t Johannes Logen S:t Augustin was moved from Stockholm to Finnish soil. S:t Johannes Logen S:t Augustin was founded solely for Finlands purposes albeit it was originally founded in Sweden. (1756)
Few of these Swedish rite lodges where founded mainly in Turku and Helsinki and they ran untill 1813. Practically the lodge work ended pretty much already in 1808 when the Finland's war (Betwean Sweden and Russia) started.
After this and officially sincec 1822 untill our independence freemasonry was illeagal in Finland. (We became autonomys part of Russia at that point.)
In 1919-1920 bunch of Finnish immigrants in America got together and started to talk about getting freemasonry back in Finland.
They first tried to revive the Swedish lodges but they didn't find a way to do so but in 1922 they where able to form a first lodge under the Grand Lodge Of New York. Suomi #1 (Can't remember the original lodge number under GLONY)
The first regular meeting was Aug 18th 1922 and 27 brothers got all three degrees that day (talk about ODCs) amongst them composer Jean Sibelius who later composed all the ritual music used in blue lodge even today in Finland.
August 1923 lodges where founded in Tampere and in Turku. Both under the Grand Lodge of New York. Also Swedish rite lodge S:t Johannes Logen S:t Augustin was reopened in 1923.
In 1924 The three lodges under Grand Lodge of New York formed the Grand Lodge of Finland and thus begins our own independent freemasonry under our current Grand Lodge.
Finland has interrestingly lodges from two regular grand lodges on it's soil as we also have lodges under Grand Lodge of Sweden in here. Likewise Sweden has lodges under our grand lodge.
During the Winter war (WW2) president Risto Ryti, a brother as well, asked the freemasons to cease to meetings untill the war was over. Regular meetings where on hold until lodges reopened their doors after the war but private meetings amongst the brethren continued during that time too.
These days in Finland we are in a position that we can help others in their search of light. For example Estonia has had it's rituals from Finland.
I you have any questions just ask. I'm glad to answed if I can.
Freemasonry originally came to Finland in 1763 when the S:t Johannes Logen S:t Augustin was moved from Stockholm to Finnish soil. S:t Johannes Logen S:t Augustin was founded solely for Finlands purposes albeit it was originally founded in Sweden. (1756)
Few of these Swedish rite lodges where founded mainly in Turku and Helsinki and they ran untill 1813. Practically the lodge work ended pretty much already in 1808 when the Finland's war (Betwean Sweden and Russia) started.
After this and officially sincec 1822 untill our independence freemasonry was illeagal in Finland. (We became autonomys part of Russia at that point.)
In 1919-1920 bunch of Finnish immigrants in America got together and started to talk about getting freemasonry back in Finland.
They first tried to revive the Swedish lodges but they didn't find a way to do so but in 1922 they where able to form a first lodge under the Grand Lodge Of New York. Suomi #1 (Can't remember the original lodge number under GLONY)
The first regular meeting was Aug 18th 1922 and 27 brothers got all three degrees that day (talk about ODCs) amongst them composer Jean Sibelius who later composed all the ritual music used in blue lodge even today in Finland.
August 1923 lodges where founded in Tampere and in Turku. Both under the Grand Lodge of New York. Also Swedish rite lodge S:t Johannes Logen S:t Augustin was reopened in 1923.
In 1924 The three lodges under Grand Lodge of New York formed the Grand Lodge of Finland and thus begins our own independent freemasonry under our current Grand Lodge.
Finland has interrestingly lodges from two regular grand lodges on it's soil as we also have lodges under Grand Lodge of Sweden in here. Likewise Sweden has lodges under our grand lodge.
During the Winter war (WW2) president Risto Ryti, a brother as well, asked the freemasons to cease to meetings untill the war was over. Regular meetings where on hold until lodges reopened their doors after the war but private meetings amongst the brethren continued during that time too.
These days in Finland we are in a position that we can help others in their search of light. For example Estonia has had it's rituals from Finland.
I you have any questions just ask. I'm glad to answed if I can.
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