Mackey A G - Encylopedia of Freemasonry - The Grand Masonic ...

COLOGNE
COLOGNE 159
near the threshold, that all might be convinced
of the normal death.
Cologne, Cathedral of. The city of
Cologne, on the banks of the Rhine, is memorable
in the history of Freemasonry for the
connection of its celebrated Cathedral with the
labors of the Steinmetzen of Germany, whence
it became the seat of one of the most important
Lodges of that period . It has been asserted
that Albertus Magnus designed the
plan, and that he there also altered the Constitution
of the Fraternity, and gave it a new
code of laws . It is at least clear that in this
Cathedral the symbolic principles of Gothic
architecture, the distinguishing style of the
Traveling Freemasons, were carried out in
deeper significance than in any other building
of the time. Whether the document known as
the Charter of Cologne be authentic or not, and
it is fairly well established that it is not, the
fact that it is claimed to have emanated from
the Lodge of that place, gives to the Cathedral
an importance in the views of the Masonic
student .
The Cathedral of Cologne is one of the most
beautiful religious edifices in the world, and
the vastest construction of Gothic architecture.
The primitive Cathedral, which was
consecrated in 873, was burned in 1248 . The
present one was commenced in 1249, and the
work upon it continued until 1509 . But during
that long period the labors were often interrupted
by the sanguinary contests which
raged between the city and its archbishops, so
that only the choir and the chapels which surrounded
it were finished . In the eighteenth
century it suffered much from the ignorance
of its own canons, who subjected it to unworthy
mutilations, and during the French
Revolution it was used as a military depot .
In 1820, this edifice, ravaged by men and mutilated
by time, began to excite serious anxieties
for the solidity of its finished portions .
The debris of the venerable pile were even
about to be overthrown, when archeologic
zeal and religious devotion came to the rescue
. Societies were formed for its restoration
by the aid of permanent subscriptions, which
were liberally supplied ; and it was resolved to
finish the gigantic structure according to the
original plans which had been conceived by
Gerhard de Saint Trond, the ancient master
of the works . The works were renewed under
the direction of M . Zwiner . The building is
now completed ; Mr. Seddon says (Ramb. on
the Rhine, p . 16), "It is without question, one
of the most stupendous structures ever conceived
."
There is a story, that may be only a tradition,
that there was a book written by
Albertus Magnus called Liber Constructionum
Alberti, which contained the secrets of the
Operative Masons, and particularly giving
directions of how to lay the foundations of
cathedrals .
Even though these builders had a special
treatise on laying the foundations of cathedrals,
they had not made provision for inventions
which carte later. It has been shown
that lately the foundations of the Cathedral
were being loosened by the constant shaking
from the railway trains that now run near, so
that they became unsafe and seriously threat .
ened the destruction of this wonderful master .
piece of Gothic architecture . The German
Government came to the relief and saved the
structure . [E . E . C .]
Cologne, Charter of . This is an interesting
Masonic document, originally written in
Latin, and purporting to have been issued in
1535. Its history, as given by those who first
offered it to the public, and who claim that it
is authentic, is as follows : From the year
1519 to 1601, there existed in the city of Amsterdam,
in Holland, a Lodge whose name was
Het Vredendall, or The Valley of Peace . In
the latter year, circumstances caused the
Lodge to be closed, but in 1637 it was revived,
by four of its surviving members, under the
name of Frederick's Vredendall, or Frederick's
Valley of Peace. In this Lodge, at the time of
its restoration, there was found a chest, bound
with brass and secured by three locks and
three seals, which, according to a protocol
published on the 29th of January, 1637, contained
the following documents :
1 . The original warrant of constitution of
the Lodge Het Vredendall, written in the
English language. 2. A roll of all the members
of the Lodge from 1519 to 1601 . 3 . The
original charter given to the Brotherhood at
the city of Cologne, and which is now known
among Masonic historians as the Charter of
Cologne.
It is not known how long these documents
remained in possession of the Lodge at Amsterdam.
But they were subsequently remitted
to the charge of Bro . James Van
Vasner, Lord of Opdem, whose signature is
appended to the last attestation of The Hague
register, under the date of the 2d of February,
16y38 . After his death, they remained among
the papers of his family until 1790, when M .
Walpenaer, one of his descendants, presented
them to Bro. Van Boetzelaer, who was then
the Grand Master of the Lodges of Holland.
Subsequently they fell into the hands
of some person whose name is unknown, but
who, in 1816, delivered them to Prince Frederick.
There is a story that the Prince received
these documents accompanied by a letter,
written in a female hand, and signed "C .,
child of V . J." In this letter the writer states
that she had found the documents among the
papers of her father, who had received them
from Mr . Van Boetzelaer. It is suspected that
the authoress of the letter was the daughter
of Bro . Van Jeylinger, who was the successor
of Van Boetzelaer as Grand Master of
Holland .
There is another version of the history
which states that these documents had long
been in the possession of the family of Wassenaer
Van Opdem, by a member of which
they were presented to Van Boetzelaer, who
subsequently gave them to Van Jeylinger,
with strict injunctions to preserve them until