INTERVIEWS WITH CROATIAN FREEMASONS

NN: "Freemasons are building Croatia again"
(13.06.1992, "Vjesnik", Zagreb)

Few months ago some incomplete entries about restitution of masonic lodges in Slovenia and Croatia have appeared in Croatian newspapers. More than fifty years since the prohibition of masonic activities in Croatia these indications have provoked understandable public curiosity as well as numerous speculations and guessing. Who are Croatian freemasons and what is Freemasonry in general - we are talking about it with one of the leading Croatian freemasons, who on this occasion wanted to remain anonymous, with motives which reader will understand.

NN: Yes, it is true that masonic Lodge in Zagreb is being restored, as well as in other capitals of Middle and East Europe. To be fair, we cannot say that "freemasons in Croatia are on the scene again". It is in the nature of Freemasonry that it does not act on the scene, in front of the public. But, it acts and has influence on all aspects of society, as all over the world, Also, we couldn't say that Italian freemasons influenced restitution of Freemasonry in Croatia., but the Austrians' did.

NN: In the first place, Freemasonry is neither a political organization, religious sect, anti-religious movement nor business enterprise. Masonic Lodge is, we could say, the school of respect and tolerance, and even more - the school of parliamentarism and democracy. It seems to me that it would be useful to remind everybody to the fact that every democratic country today has masonic lodges, while in non-democratic and totalitarian regimes Freemasonry was forbidden and persecuted. Situation is the same even today and in that sense restitution of Freemasonry in Croatia is one of the marks of democracy and integration into the world.


By definition, only "honorable man with good reputation" can become freemason and according to statute of masonic Lodge members are obliged not only to abide laws of their country but also to work for its benefit. Why Freemasonry today and here? I think we already answered that. Freemasonry is one of the characteristics of the modern, liberal and democratic country. There is nearly six million freemasons in the world today and you would be surprised to hear who, among famous persons in politics, culture and economy... are freemasons. We could even say, without any exaggerating, that the influence of Freemasonry in today's world is huge.

NN: As it is well known, Vatican was ordering excommunication for freemasons for entirely 245 years. But in 1982 Pope John Paul II, with the new codex Iuris Cannonici, canceled that excommunication. Since than it can be said that there are no problems and misunderstandings between the Church and Freemasonry. In contrary, their relations are today characterized with mutual respect and tolerance.

One of the widely spread ideas about Freemasonry describes it as a secret, mystic and cultic society. How much of this is true and how do you become a freemason?

NN: There is an American business proverb: "Don't call us, we'll call you". In a way, that can be said for the receipt in masonic Lodge. The candidate can, however, express his wish to become a freemason, but it can not be promoted without a recommendation of the two Lodge members who know him and guarantee for him. Candidates are discussed in the Lodge and the receipt is secretly voted by white and black ballots. One black ballot (i.e. negative opinion) postpones candidature for one year. The candidate who gets two or more black ballots during the secret voting can never be accepted in the Lodge.

NN: Yes, Freemasonry has its symbols and rituals, a whole system of allegories. By one definition Freemasonry is a moral order of honorable men, who incorporated freedom, fraternity, equality, tolerance and later on charity into it. Freemason mainly considers himself, he "works on himself", develops himself. By masonic terminology he is a raw stone who aims to perfection. Masonic Lodge is a school of respect and tolerance while the value of Freemasonry is in spreading such highly civilized behavior outside the Lodge, among "profane" people. It needs to be specially emphasized that no freemason should have any material benefit from his masonic activities.

NN: Yes. Untill 1940, when Freemasonry was forbidden in Croatia, there were ten lodges with more than five hundred members working only in Zagreb. Regardless of its long tradition (the first masonic Lodge in Croatia and actualy in the Balkans was established in the city of Glina in 1764, by Croatian officers who returned from seven-year-long war; the Master of the Lodge was Count Ivan Draskovic) Freemasonry in Croatia has today, so to speak, to start from the beginning. In that sense I would particularly like to point out that today's Croatian freemasons have nothing in common with that part of prewar freemasons in Zagreb Lodges with Yugoslav orientation. It is also worth mentioning that today's Croatian freemasons have no connection with the so called Grand Lodge of Yugoslavia which has been restored two years ago and nowadays operates in Belgrade.

NN: Croatian freemasons connected themselves with Viennese freemasons and after thorough preparations brought light into Deputy Lodge "Illyria" in Vienna (March 21, 1992). Besides Croatian some Austrian freemasons, who wanted to help us, entered this Lodge. Consequently, at this moment there is still no Lodge in Zagrebl. Zagreb's freemasons are working in Lodges of Klagenfurt, Graz and Vienna. The rules are such that to establish the Lodge in Zagreb there has to be at least forty freemasons here in Zagreb out of which seven should be masonic masters. Namely, freemasons are at first apprentices, than fellow-masons and masters at the end. After that third, master's degree, they can progress further on untill 33rd degree of the Scottish Rite or 7th degree of the Royal Arch. In this moment we have about twenty freemasons in Zagreb. At the moment when we will have at least seven masters (and we expect that to happen by the beginning of the next year) we will cancel Deputy Lodge and will open an independent one in Zagreb.

Who are Croatian freemasons?

NN: As I already said, any honorable man with good reputation, established in his profession or creative work can become a freemason. Every freemason is allowed to declare himself in public as a freemason, but shouldn't ever say it for any other freemason. This is a rigid rule that is strictly followed and it is, at the same time, the basic secret, value and acting power of Freemasonry. Besides the fact that we still do not formally have our Lodge in Zagreb, we Croatian freemasons already act: among other things we have recently joined some humanitarian activities. Namely, Freemasons want to help that, among myriad progressive European ideas, our common idea of freedom and piece tolerance and humanism finds its confirmation.

That, of course, is not the only field of freemasons' activity?

NN: As Freemasonry in general, thus as well Croatian Freemasonry had significant influence on political, economical and cultural-scientific destiny of Croatian civilization in the past. It is the same nowadays. Bearing in mind the already mentioned fact about huge influence of Freemasonry today on politics and economy of the world and knowing how their mutual contacts and confidence are developed, it is needless to emphasize that Croatian freemasons could play significant role in postwar rebuilding of Croatia too. They, for sure, see themselves in that role too.