In the eye of a hurricane: German Freemasonry in the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich
This article provides information on the conditions German Freemasons faced after Germany's defeat in the First World War. For example, they came under attack by various nationalistic elements during the Weimar years, when the Masons were accused of being unpatriotic. These assaults occurred de...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
2003
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| In: |
Totalitarian movements and political religions
Year: 2003, Volume: 4, Issue: 2, Pages: 113-132 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article provides information on the conditions German Freemasons faced after Germany's defeat in the First World War. For example, they came under attack by various nationalistic elements during the Weimar years, when the Masons were accused of being unpatriotic. These assaults occurred despite the fact that most German Masonic lodges were anti-Semitic and not places of liberalism or reform. But, because German Masons were not unified within their own practices of Masonry, they could rarely respond in a unified manner and, thus, with effectiveness when they challenged. The article then relates how the Fraternity came under further attack when Adolf Hitler became German Chancellor. Wishing to survive and play a role in the Third Reich, German Masonry tried to accommodate and conform with the Nazi Party's racist ideology. In this, German Masonary was ultimately unsuccessful, and all but a few of its lodges were unable to withstand the pressure and were 'voluntarily' dissolved or forcibly closed. The article then discusses anti-Masonic actions taken by Germany throughout Nazi-occupied Europe during the Second World War and how Fraternity was brought back to Germany after the war's end. |
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| ISSN: | 1743-9647 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Totalitarian movements and political religions
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/14690760412331326138 |