CZECHOSLOVAKIAN FREEMASONRY Professor Jiri (George) Syllaba, M.D., Doctor of Sciences, 33ø Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Czechoslovakia Praha 5, 152 00-Barrandovska 14, Czechoslovakia At Three Stars, the first Masonic Lodge in Bohemia, was probably founded in 1726 by Count Francis Spork. A few years later, in 1741, a Masonic Lodge was founded in Prague by some French officers. Also, in the 18th century, other Masonic Lodges were constituted in Prague and in some Moravian towns. These Lodges worked with beneficial and enlightened tendencies. For instance, an orphanage and an institute for deaf and dumb persons were established in 1773 by Freemasons in Prague. Members of the aristocracy and a group of educated scientists - Ignatius of Born, Dobner, Voigt, Cornova and others, most of them Freemasons - founded in Prague The Royal Czech Society of Sciences. In addition, the famous physiologist, John E. Purkyne became a Freemason during his stay in Vratislava. In the 20th century, Masonic Lodges were constituted mostly under German or Hungarian obedience. At the end of World War I, some Brethren of these Lodges established a Czech Lodge called "John Amos Komensky" (Comenius), and soon afterwards other Czechoslovak Lodges were founded in Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia, such as Narod (The Nation), Pravada vitezi (The Truth Conquers), Dilo (The Work), Most (The Bridge), The 28th October, Dobrovsky, P. J. Safarik, and others. The regular national Czechoslovak Grand Lodge was definitely constituted in 1923. The disestablishment of cooperation with the Italian Grand Lodge after Mussolini's overthrow compelled a group of Czechoslovak Freemasons to visit Switzerland and ask the Grand Lodge Alpina for advice. This group was represented first by my father, professor Ladislav Syllaba, personal physician and friend of our first President, Thomas Garrigue Masaryk, and then by the well- known painter Alfons Mucha and professor Dvorsky. Masonic Light was introduced in our Grand Lodge by the Yugoslavian Grand Lodge. In 1920 a German Grand Lodge Lessing zu den drei Ringen (Lessing to the Three Rings) was also constituted in Prague. The mutual cooperation between these two Grand Lodges has been good, especially after a concordant contract in 1934. Before World War II each of these two Grand Lodges comprised about 15 to 20 regular Lodges and about 3,000 Freemasons. The Czechoslovak Grand Lodge was working in the Scottish Rite, the German Grand Lodge in Janus Rite. Both were regular. The Nazi government during the occupation of Czechoslovakia strictly prohibited Masonic activity. During World War II about 135 Freemasons were executed or tortured to death, at least 130 were imprisoned, 64 persecuted, and more than 100 died as a result, later in life, of imprisonment. About 200 Czechoslovak Freemasons emigrated to England and found there excellent understanding and help. The Grand Lodge of England as early as 1940 recognized the Czechoslovak Grand Lodge in exile and the Lodge John A. Comenius in exile, and the Grand Lodge lent them use of a Temple. Also the American Grand Lodge in New York recognized our Freemasons and offered them help and financial support. Our second President Edward Benes and the son of our first President T. G. Masaryk, John Masaryk, were Freemasons. After World War II, the Czechoslovak Grand Lodge was reconstituted in Prague in 1947. The total number of Czechoslovak Freemasons was only 652, but the Communist overthrow of the government in 1948 caused a diminishment of Masonic activity since the Brethren had to be very circumspect. There was a justified apprehension of a possible forced cooperation with the totalitarian regime. Consequently, our Grand Board decided to lull our Masonic Craft to temporary sleep in 1951. In fact, the Nazi Gestapo, a secret state police, intended a total liquidation of Czech and Moravian Freemasons. Many of them were arrested. For example, I and other Brothers were forced to stay in a concentration camp till the end of the war. Infected by an epidemic fever, many died in my arms. During the Communist oppression lasting 41 years, 1948- 1989, only 28 Czech and Moravian Freemasons survived. They conserved our Masonic continuity by secret meetings in private homes where Masonic discussions were held. Craft Ritual was impossible since all our requisites (Rituals and paraphernalia) were taken away. In April 1990 several Freemasons from Switzerland visited us and worked with us in Prague as did my old friend Jorma Komonen from Finland, some Italian Freemasons, and Brothers from Austria, especially Dr. Dieter Scheits. These were joined by Brethren from Germany as well as by Czechoslovak Brothers who had emigrated to Germany and founded two Czech- speaking Lodges in exile. In July 1990 the Czechoslovak Grand Lodge could be revived. It comprises three Lodges: Narod (The Nation), Dilo (The Work) and Most (The Bridge). I, Jiri (George) Syllaba, a Freemason since 1926 in the regular Lodge Narod, and a Thirty-third Degree Scottish Rite Mason, was elected as Grand Master. The 17th of November, the anniversary of our revolution, was a significant date since on that day a solemn Masonic conference and Craft meeting were arranged in a hall of the beautiful old Hradcany Castle in Prague. About 86 Freemasons were present, 13 Grand Masters from various European countries, and 3 visitors from America, among them Sovereign Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33ø. Then, after Fraternal welcoming, I as Grand Master and probably the oldest Brother in this international assembly, presented a brief Masonic address about the life of John Amos Comenius, a predecessor of European Freemasonry, at the occasion of the 320th anniversary of his death. Later a Czech banquet was served in a nearby renowned restaurant "Vikarka" close to St. Vitus Cathedral. In December 1990 our Grand Lodge received official recognition from the United Grand Lodge of England and also from other European and United States Grand Lodges. Now it will be registered in the international list of regular Grand Lodges. Although we open our Masonic activity with enthusiasm, gratitude, and consciousness of great responsibility, we are facing many problems. We lost all our prewar fortune, our Temple, and all our Masonic possessions. However, with the great help offered to us from Grand Lodges in Europe - especially from Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, and Italy - and in the United States, we shall start our great Craft anew. We intend to continue in our prewar regular Masonic tradition with the main goal of helping to rebuild our national moral character which was corrupted in the course of 50 years of Communist oppression. This is, unfortunately, not unusual since morality has been disturbed in many countries. Therefore we all, dear Brethren, have to keep in mind the words of John Comenius, the great Czech churchman and educator, who said, "Labyrinth of the world and paradise of the heart"! The labyrinth of the world unfortunately still persists; however, the paradise of the heart must remain as our goal. Do not allow this ideal of Freemasonry to be extinguished! I and other Brothers were forced to stay in a concentration camp till the end of the war. Infected by an epidemic fever, many died in my arms. During the Communist oppression lasting 41 years, 1948- 1989, only 28 Czech and Moravian Freemasons survived. The Nazi government during the occupation of Czechoslovakia strictly prohibited Masonic activity. During World War II about 135 Freemasons were executed or tormented to death, at least 130 were imprisoned, 64 persecuted, and more than 100 died as a result, later in life, of imprisonment.