Page 6 - July 2018 MFM.indd

Friedrich Ludwig Schröder Statue
Friedrich Ludwig Schröder Statue
Reconstruction Project
Reconstruction Project
Reid Gardiner, Editor
Friedrich Ludwig Schröder (1744 – this time the Nazis included Freemasons as
1816), was a theater director in Hamburg, a anti-German and an organization that should
playwright, actor and important designer of be done away with. The "Friedrich Ludwig
Shakespeare plays. Grand Master Friedrich Schröder Lodge" in Hamburg was destroyed
Ludwig Schröder is regarded as being one after the Nazis used the lodge for an anti-
of the most signifi cant reformers in German masonic exhibition, and then ordered it torn
masonic history. In 1774, he petitioned for down. In the process, the Nazis destroyed
degrees at "Emanuel zur Maienblume Lodge" the statue of Friedrich Schröder, the founder
and was initiated shortly thereafter. The next of the Grand Lodge, destroying not only
year he was raised to the Sublime Degree of important Masonic history but also valuable
Master Mason at "Josua zum Korallenbaum cultural items. f
Lodge," the same year he received the 4th t
degree. In 1784, Schröder left Hamburg and took up the Forward to 2016, W.M. Hans Peter Meissner of
position of Professor at the Imperial Court Theatre in "Absalom zu den drei Nesseln Lodge" and the German
Vienna. Tired of Vienna, Schröder returned to Hamburg artist and Brother Jens Rusch were discussing the events G
in 1787. He immediately took up work as the leader of of the Nazi destruction of the Hamburg Masonic Lodge M
Hamburg National Theatre. He also resumed his Masonic some 80 years ago. They agreed that something should be a
labors with Emanuel zur Maienblume Lodge, where he done to reconstruct the statue o
was elected Worshipful Master. but also to send a signal that S
what had been destroyed b
Schröder had served on a committee to reform the during this dark time can be
Lodge regulations and return of Freemasonry to the reestablished. This became
three-degree system. He devoted himself to a thorough a daunting task; there was i
reformation of the German Masonic system. He limited information about h
reformed and combined the rituals to lead them back to the statue of Grand Master b
the three-degree system. This resulted in his creation of Schröder. They found an f
the "Schröder Rite or the Schröder Ritual" - by using old faded photograph of the t
the Masonic expositions “Jachin and Boaz,” "Masonry statue in the Lodge and an old R
Dissected” and “Three Distinct Knocks,” remodeling oil painting of Grandmaster a
them and translating them into German. Striving to do Friedrich Ludwig Schröder. a
away with what he saw as superfl uous and still keep key The oil painting is still in b
symbolism intact. The Schröder Rite was established in the reestablished lodge in i
1801. There are 33 German Lodges using the Schröder Hamburg. They also found p
Ritual today, and in a few other European Lodges. It is one eyewitness in Brother Rolf Appel (born 1921), who v
also used by some Lodges in Switzerland. Austria works saw the Nazis destroying the statue. s
using a modifi ed Schröder Ritual. And it is also used in t
Chile. A committee was formed to explore the reconstruction B
of this statue and a non-profi t organization to secure funds t
In 1792, Schröder affi liated with the Jewish - Christian, for the reconstruction of the statue. Hans Peter Meissner m
Unity and Tolerance Lodge. In 1794, he was elected as made it his mission to reconstruct the life-size statue with a
the Deputy Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of a group of artists. The artists B
of Lower Saxony in Hamburg. He was elected Grand Jens Rusch, Oliver Kieser and
Master of the Provincial Lodge of Hamburg in 1799. In Roman Zonder, engaged the task
1801, he helped create the Grand Masonic Association of recreating the lost statue on the a
which included the Provincial Lodge of Lower Saxony, basis of existing documents. This o
the Grand Lodge of Hanover, and the Royal York of became an expensive undertaking, l
Berlin. The Grand Lodge of Hamburg formed in 1811, estimating about 30,000 € in f
after separation from the English Provincial Grand manufacturing costs. s
Lodge. In 1814, Schröder became the Grand Master of m
the Grand Lodge of Hamburg. Most Worshipful Brother Through the use of a two-year c
Schröder died on September 3, 1816. old sketch by Jens Rusch and the
modeling art of Oliver Kieser and
Fast forward to 1937; the Nazis employed many Roman Zonder, bronze miniatures
atrocities against many organizations and groups of were produced with the latest 3D O
people, as well as the repression of individual rights and technology, the sale of which is intended to enable the R
destruction of German society and culture. This included reconstruction of the actual statue.
the Nazi occupation of the City of Hamburg. During