Freemasonry in Finland

Fraternal order that aims to promote individual moral growth and social harmony in Finland

Part of a series on

Freemasonry

Overview

* Grand Lodge
* Masonic lodge
* Masonic lodge officers
* Grand Master
* Prince Hall Freemasonry
* Regular Masonic jurisdiction
* Anglo-American Freemasonry
* Continental Freemasonry

History

* History of Freemasonry
* Liberté chérie
* Masonic manuscripts

Masonic bodies

Masonic

* Masonic bodies
* York Rite
* Order of Mark Master Masons
* Holy Royal Arch
* Royal Arch Masonry
* Cryptic Masonry
* Knights Templar
* Red Cross of Constantine
* Scottish Rite
* Knight Kadosh
* French Rite
* Societas Rosicruciana
* Order of Royal and Select Masters
* Grand College of Rites
* Swedish Rite
* Order of Saint Thomas of Acon
* Royal Order of Scotland
* Order of Knight Masons
* Research Lodge
* Corks

Side degrees

* The Shrine
* Royal Order of Jesters
* Tall Cedars of Lebanon
* The Grotto

Masonic groups for women

* Women and Freemasonry
* Order of the Amaranth
* Order of the Eastern Star
* Prince Hall Order of the Eastern Star
* Co-Freemasonry

Masonic youth organizations

* DeMolay
* A.J.E.F.
* Job's Daughters
* International Order of the Rainbow for Girls

Views on Masonry

* Anti-Masonry
* Anti-Masonic Party
* Grand Anti-Masonic Exhibition
* Masonic conspiracy theories
* Christian attitudes towards Freemasonry
* Papal ban of Freemasonry
* Taxil hoax

People and places

* Masonic Temple
* James Anderson
* Prince Hall
* William Preston
* Thomas Smith Webb
* Albert Mackey
* Albert Pike
* John the Evangelist
* John the Baptist
* William Schaw
* Elizabeth Aldworth
* List of Freemasons
* Lodge Mother Kilwinning
* Freemasons' Hall, London
* Mark Masons' Hall, London
* House of the Temple
* Solomon's Temple
* Detroit Masonic Temple
* List of Masonic buildings

Related

* Masonic ritual and symbolism
* Great Architect of the Universe
* Square and Compasses
* Pigpen cipher
* Eye of Providence
* Hiram Abiff
* Chamber of Reflection
* List of Masonic Abbreviations
* Sprig of Acacia
* Masonic Landmarks
* Pike's Morals and Dogma
* Propaganda Due
* Dermott's Ahiman Rezon
* Volume of Sacred Law

By country

* Barbados
* Belgium
* Canada
* China
* Croatia
* Cuba
* Denmark
* France
* Finland
* Germany
* Iceland
* India
* Indonesia
* Israel
* Italy
* Japan
* Lebanon
* Luxembourg
* Malaysia
* Malta
* Mexico
* North Macedonia
* Philippines
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Scotland
* South Africa
* Spain
* Sri Lanka
* Sweden
* Thailand
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* Venezuela
* United States

* v
* t
* e

This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (August 2024)

|

Freemasonry in Finland began in the mid-18th century, during the period of Swedish rule in Finland.

## Freemasonry in Finland under Swedish rule

[edit]

The Freemason's Grave (Vapaamuurarin hauta) in Kaisaniemi, Helsinki

The first Swedish Order of Freemasons lodge in Finland was founded in 1756, in connection with the military fortification works at Sveaborg (Suomenlinna) and the officers stationed there.[1] The S:t Johannes logen S:t Augustin lodge worked partly in Stockholm, partly in Turku, but later moved to Helsinki.[1] Known Freemasons in Finland during the 18th century included Gustaf Björnram.[2] Anti-Masonic sentiments were already present among the Finnish Lutheran clergy and laity: the 1769 diocese meeting of Porvoo criticized the worldview of Freemasons and their activities.[1]

As the result of the Finnish War of 1808–1809, Sweden ceded its eastern provinces to Russia. These territories came to constitute the Grand Duchy of Finland under the Russian Empire. Lodge activities continued until 1813, but from 1822 onward, regulations banning secret societies in the Russian Empire made it impossible for Freemasons to operate in Finland.[1]

## Freemasonry in Independent Finland

[edit]

After the Finnish Declaration of Independence in 1917, Freemasonry was again free to operate in the country. In the early 1920s, the possibility of restoring Freemasonry to Finland was discussed among Finnish American Masons.[3] Unlike other European countries of the time, Finland adopted Freemasonry from the United States and not from England or Central Europe. The Suomi Lodge 1 opened in Helsinki in August 1922.[3] Finnish lodges initially operated under the Grand Lodge of New York.[3] The Independent Finnish Grand Lodge Association was founded in 1924.[3] In the European Masonic circles, the orientation of Finnish Freemasons to the United States caused bitterness: the United Grand Lodge of England did not recognize the Finnish Grand Lodge until 1927 while the Swedish Order of Freemasons withheld recognition until 1948.[4][1]

The Grand Lodge was registered on 12 August 1935 under the name of the Grand Lodge of F. & A. Masons of Finland.[3] The name was changed to the Grand Lodge of Finland on 30 November 1983.[3]

In 1920, the Co-Masonic Le Droit Humain began its activities in Finland in connection with the Finnish Theosophical Society.[5]

In 1923, there was a revival of the Swedish Rite in Finland, when the Swedish Order of Freemasons reopened the S:t Augustin lodge and established operations in the Swedish-speaking parts of Finland.[1]

In the 1930s, Finnish far right groups, inspired by the Fascists and the Nazis, campaigned prominently against Freemasonry and similar organizations, such as the Odd Fellows.[1] There were also efforts to ban Masons from the officer corps of the Finnish Armed Forces and from the Lutheran clergy.[1] Due to the negative publicity, the number of Finnish Freemasons dropped from slightly under 1,000 to around 500 during the pre-war years.[1]

In 1941, Finnish lodges voluntarily ceased activities, to avoid complicating relations with Nazi Germany during the Continuation War against the Soviet Union.[1]

Masonic activities resumed in Finland after the Second World War, although not seriously until the early 1950s.[1] In the 1980s, inspired by the Italian P2 lodge scandal, the Finnish media published a number of stories about the alleged corruption of Finnish Freemasons active in politics and business.[1] Negative articles on Freemasonry were published in the large dailies in Helsinki, in the left-wing press, and in papers associated with certain religious groups.[1] The matter was also raised in the Finnish Parliament, but the government noted that Freemasonry was a lawful and accepted civic activity.[1]

In the decades since, Finnish Freemasonry has striven to decrease the secrecy surrounding it by, for example, opening a museum of Finnish Freemasonry and by cooperating with academic researchers.[1] The Finnish Grand Lodge system had 7,400 members in 2014 while the Swedish Rite system had 1,400 members in 2018.[3][6] Le Droit Humain Finland had about 200 members in 2007.[5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Holm, N. (2008). Freemasonry and its social position in Finland. Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis, 20, 68-77.
2. ^ Uppslagsverket Finland - frimureri
3. ^ a b c d e f g "Uskonnot Suomessa - Suomen Suurloosi ry". Archived from the original on 2019-02-09. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
4. ^ Historiallisia Arvosteluja 6/2001: Salat ja valat
5. ^ a b Uskonnot Suomessa - Kansainvälinen Vapaamuurarijärjestö Miehille ja Naisille Le Droit Humain Suomen Liitto ry – Internationella Frimurareorden för Män och Kvinnor Le Droit Humain Finska Federation rf
6. ^ Uskonnot Suomessa - Svenska Frimurareorden i Finland

### Bibliography

[edit]

* Gould, Robert Freke (1887). Gould's History of Freemasonry Throughout the World, Volume III. Charles Scribner's Sons.

* v
* t
* e

Freemasonry

Fraternal organisations with origins in the United Kingdom in the 18th century, sorted by bodies, lodges, locations and rites

General|

* Abbreviations
* Chamber of Reflection
* History
* Grand Lodge (List)
* Landmarks
* Manuscripts
* Music
* Masonic myths
* Rites
* Ritual and Symbolism
* Lodge
* Research lodge

Square and
Compasses

Freemasons' Hall,
London,
headquarters (1775/1933-)
of the
United Grand
Lodge of England (1722-)

Anglo-American
Freemasonry|

| Eurasia|

| British Isles|

* United Grand Lodge of England
* Grand Lodge of Scotland
* Grand Lodge of Ireland

|

Swedish Rite|

* Swedish Order of Freemasons
* Danish Order of Freemasons
* Icelandic Order of Freemasons
* Norwegian Order of Freemasons
* Grand Lodge of Spain
* Grand Landlodge of the Freemasons of Germany

|

* Armenia
* Belgium
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Finland
* France
* India
* Germany
* Italy
* Regular Grand Lodge
* Grand Orient
* Luxembourg
* North Macedonia
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Philippines
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Switzerland
* Turkey

Australia and New Zealand|

* United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
* Grand Lodge of New Zealand

|

Americas|

| United States|

* Alabama
* California
* Connecticut
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Missouri
* Nebraska
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Pennsylvania
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Virginia
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin

| African-American|

* Prince Hall Freemasonry
* Order of the Eastern Star
* Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order
* Imperial Court

|

Canada|

* Manitoba
* Newfoundland and Labrador
* Ontario

Latin America|

* Brazil
* Chile
* Costa Rica
* Cuba
* Dominican Republic
* Mexico
* Venezuela

Continental
Freemasonry and
Co-Freemasonry,
including CLIPSAS|

| Eurasia|

* Le Droit Humain (several countries)
* Belgium
* Grand Orient
* Female Grand Lodge
* Grand Lodge
* Denmark
* Spain
* Catalonia
* France
* Grand Orient
* Mixed Grand Lodge
* Greece
* Ibérico
* Italy
* Grand Orient of Italy
* Grand Lodge
* Female Grand Lodge
* Malta
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Turkey

|

Americas|

* Universal Co-Masonry
* Venezuela
* United States
* Canada
* Mexico

Appendant Orders|

| Non-Denominational|

* Allied Masonic Degrees
* Grand College of Rites
* Holy Royal Arch (Anglo-European)
* Royal Arch Masonry (American)
* Order of Athelstan
* Order of the Eastern Star
* Order of Knight Masons
* Order of Mark Master Masons
* Order of the Scarlet Cord
* Order of the Secret Monitor
* Order of Royal and Select Masters (Anglo-European)
* Cryptic Masonry (American)
* Royal Ark Mariners
* Shriners

|

Christian Only|

* Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests
* Knights of the York Cross of Honour
* Knights Templar
* Masonic Order of the Bath
* Order of Saint Thomas of Acon
* Red Cross of Constantine
* Reformed and Rectified Rite
* Royal Order of Scotland
* S.R.I.A.
* Royal Order of Eri
* Societas Rosicruciana
* Sovereign Order of Knights Preceptor
* York Rite Sovereign College

Ancient and Accepted
Scottish Rite|

* USA
* Northern Jurisdiction
* Southern Jurisdiction
* Supreme Council of Louisiana

People|

* List of Freemasons
* A–D
* E–Z
* monarchs
* US presidents
* Freemasonry and women

Places|

* Masonic Buildings
* Libraries

Anti-Masonry|

* Anti-Masonry
* Conspiracy theories
* Judeo-Masonic conspiracy theory
* Morgan Affair

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template