Masters of Danish Freemasonry
April 10, 2008 by Thomas Munkholt
The Danish Wikipedia entry on freemasonry has been updated with a list of all the supreme rulers of the Danish Order of Freemasons; the title has changed several times depending on the system being used, and whether Denmark was a province of German freemasonry at the time. But from 1858 the title was Wisest Vicarius of Solomon, and since 1975 the more neutral moniker Sovereign Grand Master has been used. You may notice four Danish monarchs, but whether that is half empty or half full, I’ll let you decide. Also note that freemasonry was active in Denmark since 1743, but only as local lodges.
1749-1765 Christian Conrad Count Danneskiold-Laurvig- 1765-1776 Baron Carl Gotthelf von Hund
- 1776-1792 Duke Ferdinand of Braunschweig
- (1775-1792) Prince Carl of Hessen
- 1792-1836 Prince Carl of Hessen
- 1836-1848 Prince Christian Frederik, later King Christian VIII
- 1848(49)-1863 King Frederick VII
- 1864-1870 Cosmus Bræstrup
- 1870-1871 J.P. Trap (ad interim)
- 1871-1912 Crown Prince Frederik, later King Frederick VIII
- 1912-1947 King Christian X
- 1947-1949 Prince Harald
- 1949-1973 Frode Rydgaard
1973-1988 Erik Kay-Hansen- 1988-1997 Erik F. Qvist
- 1997-2005 Børge Clausen
- 2005-…. Hans Martin Jepsen
Images of Frederick VIII, von Hund and Hans Martin Jepsen.
