Freemasonry in Denmark

Freemasonry in Denmark was first established in 1743 and is today represented by a number of grand lodges. The oldest and biggest grand lodge is the Danish Order of Freemasons (Danish: Den Danske Frimurerorden), in English also known as the Grand Lodge of Denmark.

Freemasonry came to Denmark in 1743 with the founding of the lodge of St. Martin. Named after Martin of Tours, the lodge was founded in Copenhagen by several Danish masons, who were also members of grand lodges abroad. 1745 saw the founding of Denmark’s second freemasons lodge, Zorobabel, also in Copenhagen. From Copenhagen, freemasonry began to spread throughout the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway with the founding in 1749 of the lodge St. Olai in Oslo as well as lodges in Bergen and Trondheim. In 1767 St. Martin and Zorobabel merged to form Zorobabel til Nordstjernen. This lodge took over St. Martin's role as mother-lodge to the freemason’s lodges in Norway.

In 1855 Zorobabel til Nordstjernen merged with the lodge of Friedrich zur Gekrönten Hoffnung (founded in 1778) to form the lodge of Zorobabel og Frederik til det kronede Haab ("Z & F" for short). From this lodge, which is still in existence, grew the Danish Order of Freemasons.

The first Danish king to be initiated into the order of freemasons was Frederick V. This happened less than a year after the founding of St. Martin, on June 3d 1744. At that time, the freemasons decided not to publish a public registry of members and to keep the minutes of the lodge a secret. The Kings successor to the throne, Christian VII had met several freemasons on his grand tour of Europe during the 1760s, including Benjamin Franklin in London and Jean le Rond d'Alembert, Denis Diderot, Claude Adrien Helvétius and Baron d'Holbach in Paris. Although wanting to become a mason himself, his deteriorated mental health meant that he was never initiated. The majority of his successors however were freemasons and held the title of Viseste Salomo Vicarius (VSV) or Grand Master of the Order: Frederick VI, Christian VIII, Frederick VII, Frederick VIII and Christian X.

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