Constituted 27 April 1958 | Jurisdiction Germany Coordinates 50.5001N 8.1474E | |
Website United Grand Lodges of Germany | ||
The United Grand Lodges of Germany (German: Vereinigte Großlogen von Deutschland or VGLvD) is an association of the five Grand Lodges of Freemasons in Germany which are recognized as regular by the United Grand Lodge of England, and represents them all at an international level.
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The Masons of the VGLvD are committed to dignity, freedom and self-determination of people-centered traditions of their league. The organization claims to have approximately 470 lodges, all male, for a total of about 14,100 Masons (there is a separate Women's Grand Lodge of Germany and the two grand lodges recognize the existence of each other, though they have no official ties).
Grand Lodges
The United Grand Lodges of Germany comprise five constituent lodges:
Additionally, the United Grand Lodges of Germany adopted the two St. John's lodges with special responsibilities for Jacob de Molay of the Flaming Star the travelling lodge The White Lily and the research lodge Quatuor Coronati.
Constitution
On 27 April 1958, the former United Grand Lodge of Germany (now the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Germany (GL AFuAMvD), founded on 19 June 1949 in St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt) and the Grand Landlodge of the Freemasons of Germany (German: Große Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland (GLL FvD), formed in 1770) joined together in the Vereinigten Großlogen von Deutschland, Bruderschaft der Freimaurer (United Grand Lodges of Germany, Brotherhood of Freemasons) with a Magna Carta of German Freemasons. In 1970, the Grand National Mother Lodge, "The Three Globes" (German: Große National-Mutterloge „Zu den drei Weltkugeln“ (GNML 3WK), formed in 1740), the German District Grand Lodge of the United Grand Lodge of England (now the Grand Lodge of British Freemasons in Germany) and the American Canadian Provincial Grand Lodge (ACPGL AF & AM) also joined the United Grand Lodges of Germany under this Magna Carta.
The VGLvD represents German Freemasonry to foreign institutions (the other Grand Lodges) and the German public. The member Grand Lodges are autonomous in their internal affairs and in the manner of teaching.
Unlike other grand lodges of the Grand Master of VGLvD acts only as a representative. The decision-making body is the Senate which consists of five members of the GL AFuAMvD, three members of the GLLFvD and one member of each of the other three Grand Lodges.