Culture in Danubian Lodges
by Eugen Golea
Worshipful Master, APOLODOR Lodge, no. 39, Drobeta Turnu Severin
Masonic work and a nation's cultural development always go hand in hand. The responsibility and the high involvement of Masons have contributed, over the rich and long history of Masonry, to the strengthening of the interest in culture and its spread throughout the society.
The close relationship between the two basic components of the development of humanity empowers us to talk even about interdependence between culture and Masonry.
In the following, we will attempt to prove this by bringing to memory the great figures who have graced the Danubian area as both cultural figures and great representatives of Masonry. Historical figures, who have fulfilled their Masonic work with great discretion and like dedication.
But first, before we foreground these illustrious figures, that have graced our culture as well as Masonry, let us show forth the place wherein were enacted their great works - the Danubian area.
Danube - an European symbol, a Romanian symbol, whose past is a weaving of history and legend. The Queen of Europe's rivers, as it seemed to Napoleon Bonaparte, it has always attracted the attention of great historians. Even Herodotus named the Ister, as the river was then known, among the major rivers, a parallel to the Nile of Egypt. The Danube has been known by various names over the ages: "Danubius", "Istrus", "Histru", "Danare", "Donaris", "Phisos", "Rio Divino". It is the second longest river in Europe, after the Volga, but the only European river that flows from west to east. The Danube begins its journey in the Black Forest mountains of Germany, where it has his sources, and finishes its eternal journey in the Romanian waters of the Black Sea.
The Danube is a major international river route, flowing through 10 countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia, Romania, the Ukraine, Serbia) and has tributaries in other seven countries. It passes through four capitals: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade.
This large area has gathered its tumultuous history and made possible the development of a solid culture and the emergence of people able to enrich it and carry it on.
Over the centuries, a feverish yet fruitful masonic work has unfolded in the Danubian basin. Great names of European and world history and culture have lit and cultivated the initiatic light in this area.
What we can claim unquestionably, as Romanians, today, when Masonic archives have been opened, is that almost all young Romanian intellectuals were Masons. They represented the driving force behind the events of 1848 and had a decisive role in uniting the Romanian principalities in 1859. They were the ones who, in accordance with their Masonic stature, spoke against any autototalitarism, any radicalism, and for a large democracy. We bow today before our illustrious predecessors, in culture or art: the Golescu brothers, Ion Ghica, Mihail Kogalniceanu, Vasile Alecsandri, Negruzzi Costache, Costache Negri, Alecu Russo, Ion Bratianu, C.A. Rosetti, Nicolae Balcescu, Ion Heliade Radulescu, Christian Tell, Ion Campineanu, George Magheru, Grigore Alecsandrescu. To all these people we have to give thanks for their enormous contribution to our becoming.
Among the personalities who worked at some time in our country and are part of the history of the Romanian Masonic Order are Professor Constantin Banu ("Flacara" magazine founder), historian Ilie Minea and painter Paul Molda. Illustrious men of letters have also been Masons: Nicolae Filimon, Octavian Goga, Victor Eftimiu, Ion Minulescu.
The famous literary society "Junimea", founded by Titu Maiorescu, Negruzzi Iacob, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti and Petru Carp in 1863 was a Masonic society. The "Junimea" Lodge managed to bring together the most representative Romanian intellectuals of the time.
The development of Freemasonry continued in
the first decades of the 20th century, but the heavy clouds of the totalitarian era then gathering in the skies of Europe were making themselves felt.
An era began that was filled with suffering, persecution, and torture. Many brethren, especially men of culture, were sentenced to many years in prison merely for the "fault" of being Masons.
After 1989, Freemasonry was rekindled in the countries of the former communist block. With the approval of the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grande Oriente d'Italia, the Obedience at that time recognized by the Mother Grand Lodge of the World decided to reactivate Regular Freemasonry in Romania and this Regular Grand Lodge founded, on Romanian territory, in Bucharest, three Regular Lodges, initially under Italian jurisdiction.
On January 24, 1993, these three Lodges ("Concordia", "Danube Delta" and "Nicolae Balcescu") reconstituted the National Grand Lodge of Romania.
Numerous important moments of our modern history had Mason artificers behind them, but nobody has shown that status. They all worked with discretion and efficiency for the good of the country.
All that remains is for us to consolidate our work, to keep our trust in mankind, trying to understand diversity and the current context of humanity, to be open to the new world and its newness and equally to offer our values, vision and universal ideals to our neighbor.
Only in this way will we bring our contribution to the Glory of the GAOTU and the good of humanity.
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