Wilhelmsbad Convention

The discussion raised the issue of converting the Statute of strict compliance into the Revised Scottish Charter , which was developed by Jean-Baptiste Willermoz . Although chivalric degrees were preserved in ISU, in them the Order of the Templars was mentioned only in a historical vein, which was implemented by the decision of 33 delegates.

The convention also discussed the “Memorandum of the Duke of Braunschweig” by brother Joseph de Mestre , written specifically for the duke Ferdinand of Braunschweig-Luneburg , who represented Masonic and Martinist lodges in Wilhelmsbad, but did not participate in the work of the convention as a delegate ^[1] . Francois-Henri de Virieux (1754-1793), after participating in the convention, founded the Martinist lodges in Lyon ^[2] .

An independent VIII province of the Revised Scottish Charter was established in Russia. The subordination of Russian Masons to Sweden was eliminated. The Russian freemasons at the convention were represented by the Duke F. Braunschweig, there was a delegation from the Russian freemasons of the "Swedish" system, headed by I.V. Beber. I.E. Schwartz , as a delegate to the Moscow Freemasons, arrived in Berlin in 1781 (a year before the convention). Through personal efforts and negotiations, he managed to obtain the preliminary consent of influential freemasons to recognize the independence of the Russian province from Sweden. In Braunschweig, Schwartz presented the duke with his letter of credence and a petition for recognition of the brotherhood (of Moscow), the establishment of an alliance with old lodges, the admission of Russian representatives in general order affairs, and, finally, the recognition of Russia as an independent province. The Braunschweig Convention gave a positive answer to the first 5 points of the petition. The recognition of Russia by the province was postponed until the general convention, promising to apply for the admission of two Russian representatives to it ^{[3] [4] [5]} .

Having moved from Braunschweig to Berlin , Schwartz had meetings with the Masons there. In October 1781, he received the authority to arrange in Moscow a directory for the “Theoretical Degree of Solomon Sciences”. The document granted to him explained that:

1. the theoretical degree of the order could only be transferred to a worthy master of the Scottish Charter;
2. Schwartz did not have the right to give rituals of “degrees” for reading or writing off - “Theoretical degree” could be read only in his presence;
3. Schwartz pledged to read the instructions from it in such a way that everything was read during 9 meetings;
4. what was read was to be explained;
5. the secret of the order was to be indestructibly preserved ^[3] .

Schwartz, the only supreme representative of this degree in the province of Russia, was not obliged to report to anyone other than the Rosicrucian leadership (the fifth degree of this system was the Theoretical degree of Solomon science). Schwarz had a duty to send to Berlin a list of all newly adopted brothers with 1 chervonets for each in favor of the poor. Each brother of the “Theoretical Degree” paid 7 thalers, of which 4 remained with Schwartz ^[5] .

• Convention (Masonic)
• Lausanne Convention