°Bavarian Illuminati FAQ,
Version 1.2,
December, 2003°


Here are three articles from, "Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia", 1961,
by Henry Wilson Coil, Master Craft Mason and 33° of the Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry:


Rites: Illuminati of Bavaria

This Order was first called the Order of Perfectibilists, and was a
fairly short-lived, meteoric, controversial society formed May 1, 1776
in Bavaria by Adam Weishaupt, aided by Baron von Knigge and others,
suppressed in 1784, and entirely disappeared by the close of the 18th
Century. The Order was not primarily Masonic, and evidently not
founded by any Masonic authority, though the members paraphrased
Masonic rituals and at one time or another had a number of prominent
Freemasons in the group. For details of the lives of Weishaupt and
Knigge, reference must be made to those titles in the general text
but, since Illuminism was their creation and developed as they
directed, their acts and material are here discussed.

Adam Weishaupt, Professor of Canon Law at the University of
Ingolstadt, conceived the idea of founding an Order which, by mutual
helpfulness, counsel, and philosophic discussions, would increase
morality and virtue, lay the foundation for the reformation of the
World, and oppose the progress of materialism. The objectives were
expressed in the name "Order of Perfectibilists", or,
"Perfectionists"; changed soon thereafter to "Illuminati", which can
at best be translated generally as "intellectually inspired".

We are not informed as to just how Weishaupt became associated with
Adolph Franz Friedrich Ludwid Baron Von Knigge, for the latter lived
in north Germany, was of the nobility, and, after his initiation in
1773, showed little interest in Freemasonry. Weishaupt, in 1780,
dispatched the Marquis de Costanzo to propagate Illuminism in the
north and Knigge probably then first showed interest in the society.
He became enthusiastic as the plan was revealed to him, and, in 1781,
accepted the invitation to visit Bavaria and receive full access to
all of Weishaupt's materials. Knigge not only completed the scale of
degrees but became a proponent of them, bringing to his aid the
assistance of one Johann J. C. Bode, a prominent German Mason. The
Order was at first very popular and attracted, it is said, some of the
best men in Germany. It had 2000 names on its rolls and spread to
France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, and Italy.
Knigge, especially, was a highly religious and intellectual man and
would have had nothing to do with that or any other Order which was
anti-Christian, yet, the vicious attacks and accusations by Baruel and
Robison had great influence, and it was even charged that the
Illuminati were themselves agents of the Jesuits, though the latter
were opposing it in their usual secret manner. The Illuminati were
extremely secretive, even identifying themselves and their chapters by
assumed classical names; for example: Weishaupt was Spartacus, Knigge
was Philo, Ingolstadt, the headquarters, was Eleusis, Austria was
Egypt, etc.

The ceremonies were divided into three principal classes and those
into degrees as follows: I - The Nursery: 1. Preparatory Literary
Essay; 2. Novitiate; 3. Minerval; 4. Minor Illuminatus; 5.
Magistratus. II - Symbolic Freemasonry: 1. Apprentice; 2. Fellow
Craft; 3. Master; 4. (a) Scots Major Illuminatus, (b) Scots
Illuminatus Dirigens (Directory). III - Mysteries; 1. Lesser: (a)
Presbyter, Priest, or Epopt, (b) Prince or Regent; Greater: (a) Magus;
(b) Rex (King).

The Illuminati were finally beset by both internal and external
disorders, for Weishaupt found fault with some of Knigge's ritualistic
work and peremptorily ordered it changed, whereupon, Knigge became
disgusted and resigned in 1784. The Jesuits had fought the Illuminati
from the first and eventually all Jesuit priests became its active
enemies and raised so much opposition that the Elector of Bavaria
suppressed the Order by edict on June 22, 1784; many Illuminati were
imprisoned and some, including Weishaupt, were forced to flee the
Country. Though the first edict had been obeyed, it was repeated in
March and August, 1785. Not only Illuminism, but Freemasonry was
exterminated in Bavaria and neither institution has recovered its
former position.

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Weishaupt, Adam

Founder of the Illuminati of Bavaria, born at Inglstadt, 1748, died
1811. He was educated in Law and attained the rank of Professor in
1772 at the University of Ingolstadt. He had been educated by the
Jesuits but acquired a dislike for them, and in his professional life,
he was soon in conflict with the whole clergy, partly because he held
the chair of Canon Law, which had always been held by an ecclesiastic.
In conferences with his students in whom he planted liberal ideas on
religion and philosophy, he soon conceived of a close association of
enlightened or intellectual persons who might advance the moral and
intellectual qualities of themselves as well as others. This idea
materialized as the Illuminates or Illuminati, who at first had not
any connection with Freemasonry. In 1777, he was admitted to Lodge
Theodore of Good Counsel (translated by some as Lodge Theodore of
Caution) at Munich, and from that time, he sought to interrelate the
affairs of his Illuminati with Freemasonry.

He soon formed an association with Baron von Knigge, an able and
upright man from north Germany, and the two might have accomplished
their objectives and some good had it not been for the opposition of
the Jesuits (who were still powerful though banished from Bavaria) and
the Roman Catholic clergy. Moreover, Weishaupt and Knigge could not
agree upon some of the latter's ritualistic interpretations. From the
literature on the subject of Illuminism and from the caustic remarks
of Masonic writers, we might suppose that this Order or movement
lasted a long time, but the whole drama opened with the organization
of the Perfectionists in 1766 and, 18 years later in 1784, the
Bavarian government banned all secret associations. The next year,
Weishaupt was discharged from his position at the University and
banished from the Country. He fled to Gotha and found asylum with
Duke Ernest of that little city, remaining there until his death in
1811. In Gotha, he published a number of works, those on Illuminism
being: "A Picture of Illuminism", 1786; "A Complete History of the
Persecutions of the Illuminati in Bavaria", 1785 (only the first of
two planned volumes published); "An Apology for the Illuminati", 1786;
"An Improved System of Illuminism", 1787, and others.

The most objective writers on the subject give Weishaupt credit for
being of high moral character and a profound thinker, and it is worth
noting that his associate, Knigge, spoke with great respect of his
intellectual powers. It appears, however, that Adam Weishaupt was the
victim of at least two powerful forces, first, the vindictive hate of
the Church of Rome and the Bavarian government and, secondly, his own
inadequate judgment of how to launch a revolutionary and more or less
secret movement such as Illuminism.

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Knigge, Baron von (Adolph F. R. L.)

German Freemason and, in part, founder of the Bavarian Illuminati.
He was born near Hanover in 1752, and died at Bremen in 1796. He was
initiated in a Lodge of the Strict Observance at Cassel in 1772, but,
for a time, seemed uninterested in the society, though later becoming
one of the foremost German writers on the subject. He published: "On
the Jesuits, Freemasons, and Rosicrucians", 1781, anon.; "Essay on
Freemasonry", 1784; "Contribution towards the latest history of the
Order of Freemasons", 1786; and, "Philo's final Declaration", 1788.
He also wrote many non-Masonic works, one being, "On Conversation with
Men", toward the end of his career and after a sad experience with the
Illuminati and disappointment with the Strict Observance, causing him
therein to devote much space to secret societies and denunciation of
Freemasonry. The most interesting and significant part of Knigge's
career was his participation with Weishaupt in the promotion of the
Bavarian Illuminati, he being almost an equal party.

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Date: Tue, 27 Oct 92
From: Roald A. Zellweger
Subject: Illuminati

At the end of the 19th Century the Illuminati-phobia was promoted
and used by the "Protokolle der Weisen von Zion" ["Protocols of the
Elders of Zion"] and the literary Vorlage, a French anti-Napoleonic
faction, and later by Ludendorff. The Illuminati-phobia became
closely connected with Fascism's conspiracy theories.

Informative is the article Illuminaten in the, "Theologische
Realenzyclopedie", (TRE), the large, forthcoming Protestant
encyclopedia, Bd.16, p.81-84, providing with the newest (serious!)
literature.

Broader, but older, the article Illuminaten in, "Realenzyclopaedie
fuer protestantische Theologie und Kirche", Bd. 9, Leipzig, 1901,
p.61-68, mentions the Spanish Alumbrados as using the same name and
existing later in France. The, "Realenzyclopaedie.." 3rd Edition is a
very serious work of late 19th Century historical research from the
vantage of German Kulturprotestantism.

Sources could be found on Knigge and Weishaupt in, "Wolfsohns
Freimaurerbibliographie", Vienna (20's or early 30's). Useful is the,
"Internationales Freimaurerlexikon" (Vienna, 1932). Both works are
from a (low-degree) Masonic point of view and are written by
apologetics against Ludendorff's conspiracy theory.

Edited sources are: Jan Reichold (ed.): "Die Illuminaten: Quellen
und Texte zur Aufklaerungsideologie des Illuminatenordens", Berlin,
1984 (commentary is partly influenced by Marxism, but is a solid text
edition).

Richard van Duelman: "Der Geheimbund der Illuminaten", Stuttgart,
1975.

--

Frater E.K.O., owner of:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Thelemic_Orientalia_Sanctum/ (Who's computer is this?)