In the early 1960s, an ever increasing exchange of visitors between lodges in Cologne and the British Lodges in the Rhine area led to the obvious & logical conclusion, “Why not form a German-British Lodge?”And so it was that a lodge with an international flair was born the “Bond of Freindship”. A lodge where Brethren of German and British Lodges could practice the principles of Freemasonry together.
In the early years our British Brethren came from the British Army of the Rhine, the British Diplomatic service & the British companies present in the Cologne/Bonn region. With the draw down of the military & the move of the Federal capital from Bonn to Berlin many of our British Brethren had to take their leave. Luckily international commerce has meant that the number of resident Britain’s has once again risen.
Today the majority of our Brethren are German nationals – often with personal connections to Great Britain – or citizens of other countries, not necessarily English speaking ones. Bond of Freindship may have started off as a German/British concept, but its membership today comes from many lands. Brethren of six different nationalities have served as Master of the Lodge, and our current members are from at least nine different countries. This truly shows the universality of Freemasonry – and of the Bond of Friendship Lodge.
The opportunity to meet Brethren from all over the world with differing cultures & lifestyles ensures that the work in a British lodge is also interesting for German Brethren. The special, warm hearted, liberal & practical concept of British Freemasonry forms the culture & style of our lodge. The ritual which we practice “Emulation” which has remained practically unchanged since its inception, offers an insight into the very roots of Freemasonry.