Through the Key Hole - RoseCroix.org.au

16
THE STEINMETZEN
The Pocket History of Freemasonry—Pick & Knight
The theory that our fraternity derived from the Steinmetzen, or
stonecutters, of Germany became very popular about 150 years
ago following the publication in 1848 of the writings of Fallou who,
However, failed to submit any evidence in support of his claim.
His lead was followed uncritically by later writers, including several
of much greater eminence. The Abbot Wilhelm, of Hirschau, is
said to have introduced an institution of lay brothers but examination
of the records shows that these were not connected with the
building trades.
Another claim, like that of the Comacines, is that the Steinmetzen
were established by papal bulls but these have never been traced,
As in other countries, Lodges were set up in connection with the
building of the great cathedrals and their rules and customs tend to
follow a common pattern. It must be remembered that for several
reasons there was a constant interchange of staff and there would
be a tendency for the best ideas evolved in one place quickly to
spread to others.
The earliest known text of their rules was drawn up at Regensburg
in 1459 and the Torgau Statutes in 1462 record the acceptance by
masters ,from several places, of the ordinances previously drawn
up. These ordinances were confirmed by imperial authority in 1498
and again in 1563. Translations may be found in Gould’s “History
of Freemasonry” but we may here mention briefly that though some
of their provisions are found in the Old Charges of England, they do
not in the main follow those documents.
The Apprentice, when declared free, was required to enter into an
obligation among other things not unlawfully to communicate the
mason’s greeting and grip and not to alter without permission the
mark conferred on him.
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3. By an extraordinary coincidence, the badge used by the Nazis
For the collection made in March 1938, happened to be the
very forget-me-not pin chosen by the Freemasons in 1926
and it was made by the same factory in Selb. It is important to
note that to wear a badge, pin or emblem that had not origin
originated in the Nazi party was an offence under the Nazi
regime.
4. When Grand Master Vogel installed a new lodge at Selb in
1948, he remembered the story of the pin. Since the factory
and the mould still existed he let a large quantity be made
anew and distributed them as a token of friendship whenever
he made official visits abroad, especially in the USA.
5. This explains why the blue-forget-me-not turned out to be
regarded as an official German Masonic emblem after the
war.
6. This also explains why, when American Masons later founded
military lodges in Germany, some of them chose the flower
as a lodge’s name.
THE TAU PAPER BY KLAUS MÜLLER AND THE ENGLISH
DOCUMENT
In Volume II (1995) of TAU the biannual publication of the German
Quatuor Coronati lodge of Research, there is a short paper written
by the the Wor. Master of the lodge, Bro. Klaus Müller stating that
each newly admitted Mason within the Grand Lodge of British Freemasons
in Germany received a forget-me-not pin whereas the
American Canadian Grand lodge gave such a pin to Master Masons
when they were raised. The paper included the facsimile of a
text “ in most lodges the Forget-me-Not is presented to new Master
Masons, at which time its history is briefly explained” Klaus Müller
did not specify which Masonic body issued that text, but he did introduce
it as “The English Text”.
Harold Davidson, Librarian of the Philalethes Society, was asked to
comment and send any relevant documentation he might have. Part
of this multitude of submissions included a paper which contained
the following: