Freemasonry has a rich past and an active present in this country. Here are some interesting facts about the freemasons and their symbols in public places in Czech Republic.
Freemasons in Czech Republic
The first fully Czech mason lodges were established almost a 100 years ago, just after the foundation of the independent Czechoslovak state. All the previous lodges were officially Austrian, except perhaps for the Moravian lodge which was, however, terminated before there was an independent Czechoslovakia. The Grand Lodge of the Czech Republic takes patronage over 27 regional lodges, most of them working in Czech, some in English. The Czech freemasonry allows even for women to join, at least in some lodges.
Freemasons aren’t as mysterious as they used to be, there are interviews, some public figures being members openly and the lodges keep the pace of the modern times and have websites where they even sometimes publish their schedules.
Some of the famous Czechs who were freemasons are the writer Karel Čapek, painter Alfons Mucha or politician Edvard Beneš.
Symbols of Freemasons in Czech Republic
The freemason lodges are currently in nine Czech cities and in some of them the history of the order is imprinted especially on the facades of the historical buildings. Let’s take a little tour where the history of freemasons in Czech republic was made.
Prague
Prague is the city with the highest number of lodges. And it is not only full of work by famous artists who were also freemasons but also of symbols of the order.
Freemasons have their secret handshakes. This handshake can be seen on one of the houses in the street Na Zderaze.
Angels with a square and a set of compasses in Washingtonova ulice
A set of compasses and a scroll in Otakarova street
Karmelitská street
Uruguayská street
Ungelt, Prague
Skořepka, Prague
Vinohradská street
Brno
A hammer and ruler symbol on one of the houses in Veselá street.
Sokolská, Brno
Houses on Jiráskova street
Ostrava
Šmeralova street
Pilsen
Pilsen is believed to be the first city with a freemason lodge in the Czech lands in the 18th century. And remember when we wrote that Czech Republic has a geocache everywhere? Well, there’s probably also a geocache dedicated to everything and here is one dedicated to the freemason lodge in Pilsen.
Mariánské Lázně
The spa town is home to the old lodge Goethe v údolí míru. Although there’s no public display of symbols in the architecture, famous freemasons of the country and from abroad used to gather here, for example J. W. Goethe whose name the local lodge bears. By the way, this lodge works in Czech and German.
Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové
