Masonic Biographies
Frederick II of Prussia
Born: Sunday, 24 January 1712
Died: Thursday, 17 August 1786
Frederick II was an enlightened thinker, Monarch, and Freemason who labored to end censorship and instituted many other reforms to the benefit of humanity.
Frederick II has been heralded as one of the most glorious monarchs to reign in Europe. Born in 1712 in Berlin, the future King of Prussia was enraptured by enlightenment and Freemasonic thought. Initiated, Passed, and Raised without his father’s knowledge or permission in 1738, Frederick II would found the Grand Lodge of Germany mere days after taking the throne of Prussia in 1740. A patron of the craft throughout his reign, Brother Frederick instituted the Scottish Rite in Germany.
Advancing the Masonic virtue of Equality, Frederick became the model for all enlightened monarchs to follow; he reformed the bureaucracy of Prussia to allow qualified non-nobels to serve, encouraged immigration to boost the Prussian economy, and reformed the military. His remarkable achievements as King of Prussia catapulted the nation from a second-rate power to a major player in Europe, until the formation of the German Empire in 1871.
A man with a far sighted vision, Frederick ended censorship and instituted reforms to benefit humanity. He corresponded frequently with Voltaire and the Count de St. Germain. Upon his death in 1786, Brother Frederick cemented his postition as one of the most popular sovereigns to ever sit on a European throne, having enriched the people and modernized the state. Throughout his life, his devotion to the Freemasonic ideals of Liberty and Equality were evident in his attitudes and reforms.
