Development of Freemasonry in Serbia

The late 18th century

First indirect traces of the formation of Masonic lodges in Belgrade date back to the memoirs of writers from the late 18th century.

Although there are no direct archival materials, it is known that by the end of that century, there was a workshop in Belgrade that likely operated in Turkish. Among its members were the vizier of the Belgrade Pashalik at the time, Haji-Mustafa Pasha, Metropolitan Methodius, Serbian revolutionary leader Janko Katić, merchant Petar Ičko, as well as the Greek poet and patriot Rigas of Pherae.

The relationship between Serbs and Turks in this lodge, whose name unfortunately has not reached us, is beautifully illustrated by the fact that contemporaries referred to Haji-Mustafa Pasha as the Serbian mother.

1801.

Petar Ičko and Metropolitan Stratimirović

The Turkish dahis, rebels against the Sultan, took over the power in the Belgrade Pashalik in 1801 and killed Haji-Mustafa Pasha.

Petar Ičko went to Zemun, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with the intention of avenging the Pasha’s murder and organizing the fight for the liberation of the Serbian people. For this purpose, he sought help from his Masonic friends, primarily from Metropolitan Stratimirović, who, as a Masonic brother, provided him with diplomatic support to resolve the Christian issue in the Belgrade Pashalik.

1803.

Aleksa Nenadović and Janko Katić

Petar Ičko also connected with Freemasons Aleksa Nenadović and Janko Katić, as well as with Karađorđe Petrović, who was not a mason, to organize an armed rebellion in the Pashalik. The dahis learned of the preparations for the uprising, and in 1803 this led to retaliation, during which Aleksa Nenadović’s brother was killed.

However, the violence only fueled the fight against the Turks and led to the uprising, or as some historians call it, the Serbian Revolution of 1804. Thanks to his Masonic connections, Petar Ičko played an exceptional negotiating role, and later, the leader of the uprising, Karađorđe, appointed him the first mayor of free Belgrade.

1848.

Dositej Obradović

Dositheos Obradović also played an important role in the work for the welfare of the Serbian people and their liberation, and he was likely initiated in Trieste. Although Dositheos Obradović was extremely anti-clerical, Metropolitan Stratimirović received him with all honors in Sremski Karlovci.

The uprising was crushed in 1813, leading to the dormant activity of Freemasonry until the mid-19th century. Around 1848, there was another lodge in the Belgrade fortress, whose members included both Turks and Serbs. The name of this workshop was “Ali Koch,” and its member was the poet Simo Milutinović Sarajlija.

Prince Mihailo Obrenović

1876. the first Serbian lodge, “Light of the Balkans”

Some historians, especially historians of Freemasonry, believe that Prince Mihailo Obrenović was a Freemason. During his exile from Serbia, the prince maintained regular contacts and had close relationships with Garibaldi and Mazzini, both of whom were Freemasons. This is further supported by the fact that the creation of the first completely Serbian lodges was under the direct influence of Italian masons. 

During the Serbian uprising in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1875, some of the leaders, including Duke Mićo Ljubibratić, the secretary of the uprising leader Luka Vukalović, and brothers Jovan and Mihailo Zega, were initiated under the direct influence of Italian Garibaldini, that is, Giuseppe Mazzini, the ideologist of the Risorgimento, the movement for the unification of Italy and the overthrow of Austro-Hungarian rule. 

During the Serbian-Turkish war of 1876, there was a military lodge in Belgrade, whose name was not preserved in the documents, and with the departure of volunteers, including Italians, the first Serbian lodge, “Light of the Balkans,” was formed the same year. It operated under the protection of the Grand Orient of Italy, and its founders were the Italian consul in Belgrade, Luigi Joanini, and Ićilo de la Bona, one of the volunteers who was also the commander of the extinguished military lodge. Mićo Ljubibratić, a personal friend of Garibaldi, and the Zega brothers were members of that lodge.

Dr. Laza Paču

1883. the lodge “Unity, Work, and Permanence”

Under the protection of the Grand Orient of Italy, the “Serbian Cooperative” lodge was also active, founded in 1881, which existed for only two years and among its members was Dr. Laza Paču, then just a doctor, and two decades later, a successful finance minister.

The lodge was dormant, as well as the “Light of the Balkans” lodge, due to the Timok Uprising and the turbulent political upheavals, which also affected Serbian masons of that time in 1883. However, that same year, again under the influence of the Grand Orient of Italy, the lodge “Unity, Work, and Permanence” was formed, primarily composed of former members of “Light of the Balkans” and “Serbian Cooperative.”

1890.

The “Brotherhood” lodge

composer Stevan Mokranjac and Đorđe Milovanović

Dissatisfied with the support of the Grand Orient of Italy, some members of the “Union, Work, and Perseverance” lodge in 1890, under the protection of the Symbolic Grand Lodge of Hungary, formed the “Brotherhood” lodge. 

Among its founders were those who were not yet initiated but were accepted in an extraordinary procedure in Pest, including Professor Andra Đorđević of the Great School, industrialist Đorđe Vajfert, lawyer Tihomir Đorđević, and composer Stevan Mokranjac. Other founders, previously members of the “Union, Work, and Perseverance” lodge, were Đorđe Milovanović, Svetomir Nikolajević, and Max Antonijević.

The establishment of the “Nemanja” lodge in Niš in 1892 was initiated in the “Brotherhood” lodge through the calculated reception and relatively quick advancement of a few Brothers who requested their regular release and formed the new lodge. The Niš lodge also operated under the protection of the Symbolic Grand Lodge of Hungary.

HM King Peter I Karađorđević

The late 18th century

The May Coup, or the assassination of King Alexander Obrenović and his wife Draga Mašin, still raises historical doubts about the involvement of Freemasons. Although there is no reliable evidence that Dragutin Dimitrijević Apis was a member of any Masonic lodge, especially the German intelligence services, up until the end of World War II, tried to prove his Masonic affiliation. 

What can be confidently stated is that the future King Peter I Karađorđević was initiated during his stay in France under the name Peter Mrkonjić, which he also used in the Herzegovina Uprising of 1875. The contact and offer for him to accept the crown were made to him through his school friend Nikola Haži Toma, an industrialist and member of the “Brotherhood” lodge, while Đorđe Vajfert gave the conspirators a donation of fifty thousand dinars for the families of the conspirators who died in the coup. Along with them, four other members of the “Brotherhood” lodge participated in the conspiracy, but based on available data, it can be said that they acted as individuals, Serbs dissatisfied with the socio-political situation in Serbia at the time.

1904.

Milovan Milovanović

The reaction of European, and particularly British, political public opinion and the court in London to the murder of the king from the Obrenović dynasty was more than unfavorable for Serbia with the new government. 

The crucial role in easing the stance of the British court toward the new Serbian authorities was played by the envoy in Rome, Milovan Milovanović, who was initiated in Italy and whose connections with Italian Freemasons opened many official doors for him. 

During 1904 and the following year, the attitude of European public opinion toward Serbia was softened, and relations were normalized.

Independence

1908. Annexation Crisis

A crucial step toward the complete independence of Freemasons in Serbia and the establishment of the Grand Lodge was the stance of the Symbolic Grand Lodge of Hungary during the so-called Annexation Crisis. Austria-Hungary had been planning the annexation of Bosnia since 1906. 

Former envoy in Rome and then Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Milovan Milovanović, thanks to his Masonic connections, received confirmation of this intention as early as the beginning of 1908, and Serbian masons informed the Serbian government of the exact date of the announcement of the decision. However, official Belgrade did not believe this, and the Young Turk Revolution and the weakened Turkish position in Bosnia only convinced Vienna that it should not allow any democratization or elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the Serbian population was then in the majority and would certainly vote for annexation to the motherland. 

On October 7, 1908, as historical sources say, Belgrade was in a suicidal mood. The people were ready to resist Austria with bare hands. In such a moment, Serbian masons, carried away by national ideals, first sought assistance from the Symbolic Grand Lodge of Hungary, under whose protection the only active lodge, “Brotherhood,” operated. However, this assistance was rejected with the explanation that it was a political matter and that intervening in it was contrary to Masonic principles.

October 10, 1908.

Conclusions of the Lodge “Pobratim”

The reaction to this stance of the Hungarian Grand Lodge was the conclusions made by the “Brotherhood” lodge during its session on October 10, 1908. These conclusions were:

*That the full and independent Masonic lodge “Brotherhood” be severed from the protection of the Symbolic Grand Lodge of Hungary.
*That the “Brotherhood” lodge be declared an independent Masonic workshop in Serbia.
*That all major Masonic Lights in the world be notified of this declaration.
*That the workshop now operates independently and immediately in all directions.
*That contact be established with independent lodges in Germany and that they be asked for their advice on administration.

The “Unity” lodge and the “Šumadija” lodge

1909./1910.

Such a radical break with the Symbolic Grand Lodge of Hungary was also a favorable ground for the formation of the “Unity” lodge, which was formed in 1909 under the protection of the Grand Orient of France. A number of members from the “Brotherhood” lodge were released and formed, to the great enthusiasm of the then French envoy in Belgrade, Léon Deko, who became a member of the new lodge. The most active in promoting the new lodge’s work was its Master, Vasa Jovanović. 

The “Brotherhood” lodge gave full support to the new lodge’s work, from which later, and notably, a larger number of members, as civilians, joined the “Unity or Death” organization, better known as the “Black Hand.” The “Brotherhood” lodge was the parent lodge for the “Šumadija” lodge, which was founded in April and solemnly consecrated on July 7, 1910. Although “Šumadija” was under the protection of the Grand Lodge of Hamburg at the time, it cooperated exceptionally and coordinated its work with the “Brotherhood” lodge. 

Despite the fact that “Brotherhood” was the only lodge not under the protection of a major lodge and was declared an independent workshop with the support of the Grand Lodge of Romania, the joint work, planning, and cooperation of these two lodges showed a specific approach of Serbian masons in relation to the free masons and the turbulent socio-political conditions in the world at the beginning of the century.

The Capitular in the Scottish Rite

Mart 1909.

The “Brotherhood” lodge was unprotected by any major lodge from abroad, and the supreme authorities of the Masonic organization in Serbia were nonexistent at that time. However, immediately following the decision in October 1908 and the severing of ties with the Grand Lodge of Hungary, the brothers gathered in the “Brotherhood” lodge took all necessary steps to obtain protection for independent work. 

In this regard, under the protection of the Grand Lodge of Romania, in 1909, the Capitular organization was founded, a higher-degree organization in the Scottish Rite, which some members of the “Brotherhood” lodge received from the Supreme Council of Romania. Since the Capitular was formed in March and the “Unity” lodge in February, it is clear that Serbian masons were striving to establish Scottish Rite institutions and organs and, by counting on the establishment of a minimum of three lodges, they aimed for the full independence of the Jovanović system and the formation of an independent Grand Lodge of Serbia.

The Supreme Council of Serbia

1911.

At the time, just before the Balkan Wars, it is interesting that, in addition to the Supreme Council of Romania, help for the final independence of masons in Serbia was also offered by the Grand Orient of Turkey in 1910. 

However, at the beginning of 1911, the Serbian Freemasons decided that the major Masonic authority that would ensure final independence should be the Supreme Council of Greece. Although there were three lodges in Serbia at that time – “Brotherhood,” “Unity,” and “Šumadija” – the strong connection of “Unity” with the Grand Orient of France encouraged Serbian masons to revive the work of the “Union, Work and Perseverance” lodge. 

This was done in mid-February 1912, with the full agreement of the Grand Orient of Italy, under whose protection the lodge had been established in 1883. The great Italian Masonic authority fully agreed to place the lodge under the protection of the Supreme Council of Serbia, which led to its reactivation.

GM br.Ђорђе Вајферт

May 10, 1912.
Most Powerful Sovereign Grand Commander

Finally, on May 9, 1912, the special delegate of the Supreme Council of Greece, Brother Cefalas, raised George Vajfert, Svetomir Nikolajević, Jovan Aleksić, Milutin Perišić, Dimitrije Janković, Petar Šrepalović, Manojlo Klidis, Petar Pačić, Dimitrije Mijalković, and Pavle Horstig to the 33rd degree by virtue of his Masonic authority. On the same day, during the joint meeting of the “Brotherhood” and “Šumadija” lodges, it was decided that “Brotherhood,” which had been operating as an independent workshop, would henceforth work under the protection of the Supreme Council of Serbia, while the “Šumadija” lodge would request its release from the protection of the Grand Lodge of Hamburg and place itself under the protection of the Serbian Supreme Council. 

The next day, on May 11, at the second ceremonial session of the newly formed Supreme Council, the Greek patent for the formation of the Supreme Council of Serbia was read, and George Vajfert was elected the most powerful Sovereign Grand Commander and Grand Master of the Supreme Council of Serbia. At the third ceremonial meeting held on May 11, the remaining Grand Officers were elected.

Washington, October 1912.

Final recognition of the independence of Serbian Freemasons

The final recognition of the independence of Serbian masons who received the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite came at the International Conference of the Supreme Councils of the Scottish Rite, held in October 1912 in Washington, hosted by the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction of the USA. 

From that moment on, all lodges in Serbia, except for the “Unity” lodge, which remained under the protection of the Grand Orient of France, operated under the protection of the Supreme Council of Serbia.

The beginning of the Balkan and World War I led to the fact that Freemasons had to first respond to their duties to the state, and organized Masonic work gradually ceased until 1918.

June 9, 1919.

The Grand Lodge of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenians – “Yugoslavia”

The formation of the Kingdom of SHS also led to the need for the reorganization of Freemasonry from the former territories of Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. On June 9, 1919, an extraordinary assembly of all Serbian, Croatian, and Slovenian lodges was held in Zagreb. Since all lodges had received permission from the appropriate authorities, both those under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Council of Serbia and those under the jurisdiction of the Grand Symbolic Lodge of Hungary. 

These workshops declared the creation of the Grand Lodge of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenians – “Yugoslavia,” with its headquarters in Belgrade. The first Grand Master was the Governor of the National Bank, Đorđe Vajfert, while his deputies were Dr. Adolf Mihalić from Zagreb and Professor Sveta Stojković from Belgrade. Historical sources state that the Grand Lodge “Yugoslavia” had around 300 members at the beginning of its existence. 

Belgrade, 1926.

The International Masonic Congress

In 1926, the Grand Lodge “Yugoslavia” hosted the International Masonic Congress – “In the Sign of Peace” in Belgrade. Under the patronage of the International Masonic Association, fifty-six representatives from twenty national jurisdictions from fifteen European countries, as well as representatives from two overseas jurisdictions, attended the congress.

Freemasonry in Yugoslavia between the two world wars was composed of the elite from all social classes, regardless of religion. Freemasonry in Yugoslavia included Orthodox clergy, Catholic priests, and rabbis as members.

Several charitable institutions were created: in Belgrade, a home for orphans and an educational center for children from southern Serbia, “Sveti Sava Gesellschafft,” was founded. A facility for deaf children, “King Dečanski,” was opened. The “Sveti Đorđe” foundation was created to assist children and war veterans. A home for the blind and an educational center for youth were established in Zemun. An unemployment aid program called “Bread of Life” was organized. Alliances were created to fight begging, tuberculosis, and similar causes.

Voluntary dormancy

June 22, 1940.

In the mid-1930s, there were around a thousand members of the jurisdiction working in over twenty lodges. The activities of the workshops expanded beyond philosophical activities to include the study of historical, economic, social, and societal issues. 

However, the pressure from Nazi Germany on Yugoslavia was so strong that Freemasons concluded that the Yugoslav authorities would ban and dissolve Freemasonry in the Kingdom at that time. 

Realizing the inevitability of a new global conflict and understanding how the authorities would view Freemasons, the Grand Lodge “Yugoslavia” decided, in order to preempt the ban, to freeze its operations on June 22, 1940, or, in Masonic terms, to decide on self-suspension.

The reactivation of the Grand Lodge “Yugoslavia”

June 23, 1990.

With the great social changes in Europe in the late 1980s, the revival of Freemasonry in the former Yugoslavia came with the reactivation of the Grand Lodge “Yugoslavia” on June 23, 1990. Since that period, brothers in Serbia have been moving toward the Light in several columns. 

In addition to the original Brotherhood of the Traditional Grand Masonic Lodge of Serbia, the Freemasons of Serbia also gather and work in an organized manner under the protection of the friendly Grand Lodge of Serbia, the Grand Masonic Lodge of Serbia, the Grand National Lodge of Serbia, the Sovereign Grand Lodge of Serbia, the Regular Grand Lodge of Serbia, the Grand Orient of France in Serbia, and the Grand Lodge “Afam”.