THE GRAND LODGE OF

BRITISH FREEMASONS IN GERMANY

History:

The idea to form a regular Lodge in Nienburg came about shortly after the Consecration of the Rose of Minden Lodge sometime early on in 1973 and from which many became Founder Members

  Names such as W. Bro. M. Darby, the first Worshipful Master, Bro. B. Greengrass the Lodge Chaplain, Bro. A. Forsyth the Junior Warden and Bro. R. Penman the Director of Ceremonies. The Founder Members came mainly from the English, Scottish and German Constitutions. Certainly one of the best known of them being RW. Bro. J.G. Chapman, who was then the Land Grand Master of the Land Grand Lodge.

The Founder Members all contributed the sum of DM 250, not a small amount in those days, as a Founders Fee to help establish the Lodge. This is known from a letter circulated to all Founder Members from the Secretary of the Convening Committee, later on to become the first Lodge Secretary, Bro. Captain S. Huggett. The first Lodge Treasurer was Bro. Captain J.F. Kemp REME. Military ranks were used almost all the time in the early days, with the bulk of the membership being either military or attached civilians.

Throughout the lifetime of the Lodge there have been moments when it really looked as if there was no alternative to closing down and handing back the Warrant, particularly in the latter half of the 1990’s. The move to Hannover however seems to have been a great decision, and Lodge Bridge of Fellowship has started to increase in both Candidates and Joining Members. Many joining members did so during the aforementioned period and indeed travelled great distances to Nienburg and thereafter Hannover, purely to have enough brethren to carry out the work, assuming there was some!

The Lodge has never been blessed with a large number of members and with the withdrawal of military personnel from Nienburg, a difficult time has been experienced by those remaining. However, the challenge has been met with determination, and at the beginning of 1998, following lengthy discussions with the German brethren in Hannover, the 1998 Installation Meeting took place in the Lodges new and magnificent premises in Hannover, attended by over 60 brethren,

From a somewhat troubled past the Lodge looks optimistically to the future .

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Copyright © 2005
Stand: 13.11.06