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BERLIN FINDS: Freemasons Grand Landlodge

September 20, 2013

A Tour of the Grand Landlodge of the Freemasons of Germany

Today I attended a tour of the historical and mysterious Grosse Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland. It was the very first activity of the The Unknown Berlin Group of WIB (Wilkommen in Berlin). Mystery and secrets surround the freemasons, more so after Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol added to the fascination & myths.  The rooms that we were allowed to see are usually only open once a year to the public, so it was very exciting to see behind these closed doors! Sharing photos and highlights of the tour after the jump. 

Let me start with some quotes on articles I found on the internet…

The arcane fraternity whose tentacles are said to extend into the highest echelons of power.

– The Independent 

(Dan Browns book is) showering new fame, and new fictions, on a brotherhood that’s already catnip for conspiracy theorists.

– National Geographic.

It’s a wonder how such an old Fraternity that has the noblest of intentions, can be so misunderstood – no thanks to the help of an International bestselling novel.

02-grand landlodge freemasons germany WIB unknown berlin group-001

GROUND FLOOR

We gathered in the beautiful foyer of the lodge, where there were gorgeous leather chairs surrounding a real fireplace. My eyes were like saucers. The brothers welcomed us very warmly and they were eager to shed some light to those who are interested to know what Freemasonry is really all about.

03-grand landlodge freemasons germany WIB unknown berlin group-002
unknown-berlin-group-leader-welcome
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freemasons-grand-landlodge-fireplace

I still can’t get over it when I’m asked by someone to take my coat. It’s something so foreign to me as a Filipino, where there is barely any need for coats, unless there is a typhoon. I was impressed by the huge coat room.

grand-landlodge-freemasons-germany-bergel

I also noticed that there is a restaurant called Bergel’s. I checked online and found their website HERE. I now realize that the ground floor is open to visitors to dine in the restaurant and for meetings and events.

grand-landlodge-freemasons-germany-room

This is a room where the members have casual gatherings. The walls usually have works of art and it changes from time to time.

grand-landlodge-freemasons-germany-club-room1

On display are plates and special thick bottomed glasses that they use for something (I totally forgot to ask our guide!). I liked this room because the chairs felt comfy, soft and well-worn, but there are hints of it’s original details, like the delicate gold details of the leather in angled light.grand-landlodge-freemasons-germany-club-room

FIRST FLOOR (or second floor for Filipinos like me)

Time to go up! This is the area is usually cordoned off.  They do not allow the public to see these areas, except once a year in September. If you are interested to visit and take the tour, I highly recommend getting in touch ASAP. Their contact details are in the bottom of this post.

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We were able to take a peak at the offices of the Master of the Order (Ordensmeister) and the Grand Master of the Land (Landesgroßmeister).grand-landlodge-freemasons-germany-office

Unbelievably, we allowed to go inside their Temple. Temple is the room where the masons  congregate and practice their rituals and traditions. It is not a place of prayer, the way a temple is to a religion. We sat down and asked whatever questions we had about the room and their practices. They tried their best to answer without breaking their “vow of secrecy.” It was an eye-opening and enlightening experience.

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What I liked most during the Q&A was how Herr Jörg told us that they go into the room all dressed in their traditional attire and start with a ritual of questions and answers (that may not make much sense to us who are outside their organisation) to clear their minds and get into a meditative state of mind. After this, anyone in their group can step up to the lectern and speak about any topic of their choice. During this time, no one in the room may react in any way, verbally or otherwise. After the speeches are over, they leave the room without talking and then go into another room have a discussion. This gives each person time to accept another person’s opinion as well as consider and reflect on them before reacting. This is so refreshing especially in today’s world of instant reaction via Twitter, FB, etc. I really enjoyed listening to the values that they promote in their brotherhood. This visit really made me think and admire the Freemasons.

SYMBOLS

The symbol of the all-seeing eye can be traced back to thousands of years BC. It is not an exclusive symbol of the United States nor the Freemasons. And it means many things to different peoples and cultures.

08-grand landlodge freemasons germany WIB unknown berlin group-007

In the ceiling, an installation displayed a plethora of lit stars. Usually the lodge’s temple ceiling depicts the stars alignment when the lodge was established. Isn’t that a wonderful tradition? It makes me think of how much history and time has passed since the beginning of Freemasonry. I think it’s really cool that they are devout about traditions and symbolisms that have spanned such a long period.

grand-landlodge-freemasons-germany-temple-stars

Freemasonry uses so many symbolisms: the wearing of an apron, white gloves and white bow-tie is no exception.  We saw in the artwork below the “Star of David” and asked Herr Jörg about it and he said that this symbol is very old, and it is not an exclusively Jewish symbol. When I did a little google-ing,  I found that this is a relatively new symbol in Judaism. If you notice, the star has one triangle that points up (higher being?), and the other points down towards the earth.  Symbols are lovely because it opens the mind and makes one think.

grand-landlodge-freemasons-germany-symbolisms

FAMOUS FREEMASONS

Did you know that Friedrich the Great was a Freemason?  There are many famous Freemasons from all over the world throughout history, like George Washington. It was pointed out to me by Hope that our National Hero, Jose Rizal, was also a Freemason and so are many of our other National Heroes in the Philippines. Also, it was interesting to note that in Germany there are women Freemasons. They usually have their own lodge exclusive to women. However, they are able to visit each other’s lodges but cannot perform their rites in the temple with the opposite gender.

grand-landlodge-freemasons-germany-temple-friedrich-the-great

BREAK TIME

At the end of the interesting and information-packed tour (forgive me because I cannot write it all down here!), we sat down to some coffee and biscuits which they graciously served us. It was a great time for our group leaders to say thank you and present them with tokens of appreciation. And we were able to sit down, chat and get to know the other members of The Unknown Berlin group of the WIB.

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grand-landlodge-freemasons-germany-WIB-tour

GROUP PIC

Here is the picture that I quickly took in the rain. It’s not complete because I took it before everyone was able to come out and before my camera got totally soaked. This is not the official picture of the visit, but a photo op I just had to jump in on.

11-grand landlodge freemasons germany WIB unknown berlin group-010

Since long before The Lost Symbol,Freemasons have been accused of everything from conspiring with extraterrestrials to practicing sexual deviancy to engaging in occult rituals to running the world—or trying to end it. Detractors include global conspiracy theorists and religious organizations, including the Catholic Church…

…But what if Freemasons—the world’s largest international secret society—are just a bunch of guys into socializing, non-satanic rituals, self-improvement, and community service?

– National Geographic

On a personal note, I want to thank Herr Jörg for giving us a wonderful tour and patiently answering all our questions, enlightening me and making me reflect along the way.

1-grand landlodge freemasons germany WIB unknown berlin group-011

I also want to thank Claude who was the most gracious host to us, his smiling presence brought smiles to us guests too. Thank you!

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I am so happy I was able to join this tour and I applaud the group leaders of The Unknown Berlin (WIB) for a job well done. Not only did they organise such an interesting tour, but they also did research beforehand and helped us “laypeople” understand the tour better. Thank you so much Karla and Sonny!

To those who are interested in seeing the Freemason’s Grand Landlodge of Germany, it’s the perfect time to get in touch with them for their annual open house. This only happens once a year and I am not sure what date it is in September. Contact information below.

Because I couldn’t upload all the pictures here, I uploaded them on my Facebook Page (The Diplomatic Wife) instead. CLICK HERE to see the rest of the pictures.

Fascinating reads:

  • “The Lost Symbol” and The Freemasons: 8 Myths Decoded

*Information posted are to the best of my recollection and understanding. If you find any errors, please write me on the comments section below and I will do my best to correct the information. The opinions I wrote are mine alone, and are simply just opinions. 

Grosse Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland

Peter Lenne-Str. 1-3, 14195 Berlin (near U3 Podbielskiallee)
gll-sekretariat@freimaurerorden.org
+49 30 841716-0

1 Comment · berlin to do

Comments

  1. Songrit Deckwitz says

    September 23, 2013 at 9:00 PM

    Hello DW,
    thank you so much for this wonderful summary you wrote. Warm regards Sonny

    Reply

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Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @dip I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @diplobaby. I love how his eyes light up. Before I was a parent, there was no reason to decorate.

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ECO TIPS:

🎃 I usually slowly built up my Halloween decor. I buy 2-4 pieces each year

🎃 I take good care of them & store properly so I can reuse for years to come. It’s never singe use!

🎃 I also don’t throw away as much as possible. If there is damage, I repair.

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🎃 if it’s not repairable, I take it apart so that the materials can be recycled.

🍭 As for TREATS, I hate the PLASTIC wrapped candy 🍬 so we usually give PAPER wrapped mini chocolate bars.

⛑️ HEALTH TIP:

If a piece of decor or costume SMELLS STRONGLY OF PLASTIC, DO NOT BUY IT! That’s toxic VOCs leaching into the air. It’s not good for you!

What about you? How do you try to have a sustainable Healthy-ish Halloween?🤪

I usually go in the same costume every year. Change is overrated lol. What about you? Do you know what your wearing this year?

#UDWinGeneva #udwholidays #udwhalloween
HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport? We are very lucky th HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport?

We are very lucky that the Geneva Airport is very near because it is located 4 km northwest of the city centre. It takes us less than 15mins by car & is easier to get to than airports outside the city.

BUT also means that many of the Geneva residents suffer from AIRCRAFT NOISE POLLUTION. 

In some parts of Geneva, like Vernier, Meyrin, Bellevue, Versoix, etc will have the airplane pass on top of you or very near you. This is something to consider when you are MOVING TO GENEVA & looking for a home.

When we were in @bioparcgeneve recently, it felt like airplane after airplane was going overhead every few mins. The poor animals were screaming each time.

A  report by the European Environment Agency(EEA) in 2017 said that 12% or 73,500 Geneva residents have their hearing disturbed by aircraft noise. Probably the figures have risen with the natural increase population & travel?

“The EEA describes noise as a pervasive pollutant that directly affects the health and well-being of humans and wildlife. Populations exposed to high noise levels can exhibit stress reactions, sleep-stage changes, and clinical symptoms like hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. All of these can contribute to premature mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) reckons that humans exposed to noise levels above 40 decibels at night experience adverse health effects.

Across Europe it is estimated that noise contributed to at least 900,000 additional cases of hypertension in 2011.” - @le_news_ch 

DID YOU KNOW that owners of homes affected by the noise can request for soundproofing to be paid for by GVA? 

Check if your home meets the conditions for FREE SOUNDPROOFING c/o Genève Aéroport here:

https://www.gva.ch/en/Site/Geneve-Aeroport/Questions-Reponses-FAQ/Bruit#

SAVE or SHARE this now with someone you know who might be moving to Geneva or is already suffering from aircraft #noisepollution. 

#UDWinGeneva #UDWgenevagoodtoknow #expatingeneva #diplofamily #expatlife #genevaswitzerland #expatingeneva #filipinoingeneva #pinoyingeneva #movingtogeneva #movingtoswitzerland #movingtogeneva #genevaexpats #switzerlandexpatlife #geneva #genevaswitzerland
MERCADONA HAUL Whenever we go to Spain, we love t MERCADONA HAUL

Whenever we go to Spain, we love to go to @mercadona. It might be small but has a good affordable selection. It’s my thrifty Spanish MIL’s favorite.

We were so lucky that we had a @mercadona right beside our hotel Marina Badalona. Very convenient.
Our favorite things to bring home are:

☕️ frozen porras (bigger than churros)

🐑 baby lamb chops (the only lamb I eat coz it’s not malangsa & all you need to do is fry till crispy in olive oil with S&P) it’s called Chuletas Cabrito but TD calls it lechal 

🐽 chicharon or crispy pork rinds

🥔 Homemade potato chips. The best potato chips for me are from Spain. I don’t know how it’s so much yummier! The olive oil???

🎣 canned Sardines & tuna for me and Yaya B

TIPS:

🧊 For frozen items, we usually ask the hotel before we buy if they can put it in their freezer until we fly.

✍️ I usually bring different sizes ZIPLOCK BAGS, MASKING TAPE & MARKER when we travel so we can put everything in, label with our name and room number.

📸 then I take a photo so we can just show it to the staff and they can easily find it in their freezer.

✈️ When it’s time to pack, I placed our beach towels around the frozen packages coz I know they will SWEAT & I don’t want our other things to get wet 💦 

What  grocery do you usually like to shop for when in Spain? Where do you buy them?

#udwinbarcelona #udwinbadalona #udwtraveldiaries #udwtraveltips #udwtraveltip #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW C FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW Calisthenics Park 

📍Chem. des Tuileries 140, 1293 Bellevue

After the lovely BIOPARC we headed across to this chill park with ample PARKING that had so many things for kids & anyone who wants to move & work out:

⚽️ The kids wanted to kick around a football so we borrowed a ball from @boxup.app (they also have pumps, 🏓, 🏐, 🏀, etc) just download the app & turn on your Bluetooth & follow instructions! Return after 3hrs.

👟 Outdoor gym - this was a huge hit with the kids

⚽️ football - this too!

🏀 basketball court

🏓 Ping-pong 

🏐 Beach volleyball court

🤸🏻 Monkey bars

🛝 small playground

Thanks for the wonderful afternoon guys @lidia_otilia_botezatu! 
How lucky are we to have these beautiful, clean open spaces. And the free rental gear is AMAZING! so convenient.

This is in Geneva, about 15mins drive from where we live.

SAVE THIS on your list of PARKS to visit!

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. It’s not as close as the bioparc but bring earplugs/earphones if you are sensitive.

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BIOPARC GENÈVE Yesterday was a holiday in Switze BIOPARC GENÈVE

Yesterday was a holiday in Switzerland (except for Geneva). It was raining & miserable so I wanted to take @diplobaby out for a few hours. Thankfully midafternoon it stopped raining.

We met with our friends @lidia_otilia_botezatu in @bioparcgeneve and had a lovely time in this volunteer run zoo.

TIPS💡

🆓 It’s free for families on your FIRST visit!

🦢 you walk inside animal enclosures so wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty/stepping on poop. We wore boots & happy we did

🅿️ there’s parking inside on wood chips, if it’s full there’s another pavement parking (free up to 4hrs) across the roundabout 

🦔 Do not feed or touch the animals no matter how cute they are

🗺️ There are 2 routes (purple & blue) and 1-1.5hrs #diplshould be enough 

❎ Park closes at 4pm

SAVE THIS NOW if your looking for a fun & not too you can do in well und2hrs. It’s nice that you can go inside unlike most zoos so it’s quite unique.

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. @diplobaby who is super noise sensitive did not mind as much as I thought he would because he was so entertained by the animals.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
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