Freemasonry in Romania traces its origins to the 18th century. Following an intricate history, all organised Freemasonry in the country ceased during the Communist era, although some lodges continued to operate in exile overseas. Freemasonry returned to Romania in the 1990s.
The beginnings of Freemasonry in theDanubian Principalities ofMoldavia andWallachia (which would unite to formRomania in 1859) date to the 18th century and the activities of the humanist scholar Anton Maria del Chiaro, secretary tovoivodesConstantin Brâncoveanu (ruled Wallachia 1688-1714) andConstantine Mavrocordatos (alternately ruled both domains between 1730 and 1769). In 1734 or 1737, del Chiaro founded the firstMasonic Lodge in the Principalities atGalați. Shortly thereafter, Mavrocordat founded a lodge atIaşi while ruler of Moldavia. During the same period inTransylvania, known Freemasons included László andJános Kemény, CountGabriel Bethlen and BaronSamuel von Brukenthal. In 1753 lodges were set up atBraşov (Kronstadt),Sibiu (Hermannstadt) and at the military garrisons ofSfântu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy) andMiercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda). On 23 February 1783Horea, who leda peasant revolt the following year, gave a Romanian-language speech at the True Understanding Lodge inVienna, in which he used a series of Masonic symbols (it is highly likely that he was initiated). In 1795, by imperial decree, Masonic activity was outlawed in theHabsburg empire, including Transylvania. In Wallachia, the first lodge was very likely established by Jean Louis Carra, secretary tovoivodeGrigore III Ghica (October 1768-November 1769).[1]
In advance of theWallachian Revolution of 1848, a Freemason-inspired secret society known asFrăția ("The Brotherhood") was set up.Ion Ghica,Nicolae Bălcescu,Christian Tell,Dimitrie Bolintineanu,Cezar Bolliac,Constantin Daniel Rosenthal,C. A. Rosetti,Dimitrie andIon Brătianu,Alexandru G. Golescu and others belonged toFrăția and were at the forefront of the revolution. Freemasons such asVasile Alecsandri,Mihail Kogălniceanu andAlexandru Ioan Cuza were active in therevolution in Moldavia that year. The union of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859 featured involvement by Freemasons from the Principalities and from exile. Cuza,domnitor of the new polity, governed on Masonic principles but nevertheless came into conflict with certain prominentboyars, who, like him, belonged to theSteaua Dunării Lodge inBucharest. These individuals, dissatisfied with Cuza's actions, organised a plot to dethrone him, but when this was uncovered in 1865, the prince shut down the Lodge without taking measures against the plotters. Thus Cuza dissolved his own Lodge on the pretext that its establishment in nine years earlier had not been officially approved. Not coincidentally, the three officers who presented Cuza with his act of abdication the following year were Freemasons. TheJunimea literary society, connected withSteaua Dunării and publishing journals such asGazeta de Iași (1867),Convorbiri literare (1867),Gazeta literară (1871) andConstituțiunea (1886), played an important cultural role.[1]
Romania's Lodges were unified on 8/20 September 1880, when the National Lodge was founded with Constantin Moroiu as Grand Master. Conflict ensued between the National Lodge and certain Moldavian Lodges, as the former indirectly refused to admitJews, who were concentrated in Moldavia. Cuza's successor,Carol I, refused suggestions that he become a Freemason and take the reins of the National Lodge, indeed ordering the closure of the Lodge inBrăila, which counted wealthy Jewish andGreek merchants among its members. Romanian Freemasons helped promote international recognition for theUnion of Transylvania with Romania in 1918.[1]
On 12 November 1925 the Great Orient of Romania was formed, which functioned alongside the Grand National Lodge. In 1934, these two merged with the Grand Symbolic Lodge of Transylvania to form the United Romanian Freemasonry, led byMihail Sadoveanu and underAmerican obedience. During the 1930s, Freemasonry was openly attacked in Romania, chiefly byA. C. Cuza, head of theNational-Christian Defense League; theIron Guard; and theRomanian Orthodox Church. On 11 March 1937, the church'sHoly Synod approved an anti-Masonic study prepared byNicolae Bălan, Metropolitan of Transylvania; this targeted Jews, who "have a preponderant, even a dominant role in Freemasonry" and concluded that "Freemasonry is a secret global organisation in which the Jews have a significant role; it has a quasi-religious rite, fighting against the religious-moral concepts of Christianity, against the monarchic and national principle, in order to establish an international secular republic. It is an expression of moral decay, of social disorder. The Church condemns Freemasonry as a doctrine, as an organisation and as a method of occult workings". As a result of these attacks, Romanian Freemasonry dissolved itself in 1937. Masonic historiography blames KingCarol II, himself a Freemason, for having taken a decision to shut down the group with the support of PatriarchMiron Cristea (another Freemason) in order to rule as absolute monarch (which he began to do the following year).[1]
Freemasonry reappeared after thecoup of August 1944 but once again ceased its activity in 1948, not as a result of a political decision by the newCommunist regime or coercive action by theSecuritate, but due to a recommendation by its leadership. Romanian Freemasons in exile continued their activity until the1989 revolution, after which Freemasonry returned to the country. The National Grand Lodge of Romania (Marea Lojă Națională din România), which brought together three Lodges, was established in 1993.[1] It holds recognition from theUnited Grand Lodge of England,[2] and in turn recognises over 200 foreign Grand Lodges.[3]
The Grand Lodge of Romania (Marea Lojă a României), uniting ten Lodges, came into being in 2003. Four more Masonic groups are active: another National Grand Lodge of Romania (Marea Lojă Națională a României), the National United Grand Lodge of Romania (Marea Lojă Națională Unită din România), the Feminine Grand Lodge of Romania (Marea Lojă Feminină a României) and the Grand Orient of Romania (Marele Orient al României).[1]
Romanian Freemasons have included:
