Freemasons of WWII

The Persecution of Freemasons in Europe

Freemasonry, one of the world’s oldest and most influential fraternal organizations, has long been a target of persecution. During World War II, totalitarian regimes across Europe and Asia sought to eradicate Freemasons, viewing them as threats to their power. Over 200,000 Masons were killed as part of widespread efforts to suppress their influence, dismantle their lodges, and erase their legacy. From Spain to Germany, France to Japan, Freemasons faced arrests, executions, and forced labor, yet many remained resilient, upholding their values even in the darkest of times. This article explores the harrowing persecution of Freemasons during WWII and the lasting impact of their sacrifices.

Liberté Chérie Lodge memorial in Esterwegen, Germany

Spain

In 1925, Spain's dictator, General Primo de Rivera, ordered the abolition of Freemasonry. The Spanish Civil War, which erupted in 1936, led to the arrest and execution of Freemasons and trade unionists. Some researchers estimate that a significant percentage of the 75,000 deaths during the conflict were Freemasons. In 1937, General Franco accused Freemasonry of causing Spain's political ruin. When Franco consolidated power in 1939, he completely banned all Masonic Lodges.

Germany

When Hitler gained power in 1933, most Masonic Lodges in Germany, except for the three Prussian Grand Lodges that barred Jewish members, were forced into self-dissolution. The Enabling Act of 1933 allowed the German Ministry of the Interior to disband Freemasonry and confiscate lodge property.

Nazi policies prioritized the elimination of Freemasons, second only to Jews. Lodges that promoted tolerance and equality, or had international connections, were persecuted and pressured into dissolving. Some conservative lodges that aligned with the Nazi regime survived for a short time, but eventually, the Nazis excluded anyone maintaining Masonic ties.

In early 1934, the Nazi Party ruled that anyone who remained a Freemason past January 30, 1933, could not join the Party. That same year, Hermann Göring ordered lodges to dissolve, requiring them to submit membership information. SS and SA units often violently attacked Masonic Lodges, though this was not always centrally directed.

Public and professional pressure forced many to choose between their careers and their Masonic membership. In May 1934, the German Ministry of Defense banned all military personnel from joining Masonic Lodges. By the summer of 1934, the Gestapo, led by Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich, forcibly closed many Masonic lodges and seized their assets, including libraries and archives.

On October 28, 1934, the Reich Minister of the Interior, Wilhelm Frick, declared Masonic Lodges "hostile to the state," leading to the confiscation of their assets. On August 17, 1935, citing the Reichstag Fire Decree, Frick ordered the complete dissolution of all remaining lodges, accusing Freemasons of exercising political influence and shaping public opinion to provoke war and revolution.

As Nazi Germany prepared for war in 1937–1938, the regime temporarily eased pressure on former Freemasons, offering amnesty to those who renounced their ties. However, Nazi propaganda continued to vilify Freemasonry, particularly in the military, where it was accused of provoking World War II. The Nazis even blamed Freemasons for influencing U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, who was identified as a Freemason.

Axis-Occupied Europe

Several of Germany's Axis partners enacted anti-Masonic policies. In August 1940, the Vichy France regime declared Freemasons "enemies of the state," authorizing police surveillance. A registry was created to track members of the Grand Orient of France, a leading Masonic organization.

Belgium and the Netherlands experienced similar persecution. In May 1940, when Nazi forces invaded the Netherlands, they immediately began liquidating Masonic Lodges, confiscating archives, and destroying temples. The Grand Master of the Dutch Freemasons was sent to a concentration camp, where he died three months later. In Belgium, Nazi authorities compiled over 2,000 dossiers on Freemasons.

German-occupied Paris and Brussels hosted anti-Masonic exhibitions in 1940 and 1941, displaying stolen Masonic artifacts to ridicule and incite hatred against Freemasonry. In France, Masonic membership lists were published to shame and blacklist Freemasons, leading to further persecution. Nearly 1,000 French Freemasons were sent to concentration camps, and 549 were executed.

Freemasonry in Japan and Asia

Japan's military government also opposed Freemasonry. In 1938, a Japanese representative at the Welt-Dienst Congress accused "Judeo-Masonry" of influencing China against Japan. The Japanese government saw Freemasonry as a direct threat and took extreme measures to eliminate it.

In Japanese-occupied territories, Masonic Lodges were shut down, their buildings destroyed, and Freemasons were often treated even more brutally than other prisoners of war. Deprivation, hunger, disease, torture, and executions were common. Despite these horrors, in 1942, 47 Freemasons held a secret meeting inside Singapore's infamous Changi Jail, using multiple guards to warn of approaching Japanese soldiers.

Freemasons in Concentration Camps

Once inside Nazi concentration camps, Freemasons sought solace in their shared fraternity. Some even established clandestine lodges within the camps. One of the most well-known was Loge Liberté Chérie (Cherished Liberty Lodge), founded on November 15, 1943, inside the Emslandlager VII camp.

Liberté Chérie was created by seven Freemasons, including resistance fighters. The lodge met in secret, using a simple table for meetings, while a Catholic priest stood watch outside to ensure privacy. Paul Hanson was elected master of the lodge, and Brother Fernand Erauw was initiated, passed, and raised within its walls. Of the lodge’s members, only two survived the war. In 2004, Belgian and German Freemasons erected a memorial in the Cemetery of Esterwegen to honor their memory.

The Fight Against Freemason Persecution

The persecution of Freemasons did not go unnoticed. In February 1941, Sven G. Lunden wrote in the American Mercury newspaper that "Nazis and Fascists are engaged in a ruthless campaign aiming at the annihilation of Freemasonry." He noted that, according to Nazi ideology, Freemasons were hated even more than Jews.

Despite the unimaginable persecution, the spirit of Freemasonry endured. Many Freemasons continued to uphold their values, even in the darkest of times. Their resilience is a testament to the strength of the Masonic brotherhood and its commitment to principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity.