Technikatörténeti szemle 19. (1992)

KÖNYVISMERTETÉS - Papers of the First „MINERALKONTOR” International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Veszprém, 12-16 August, 1991)

ZSUZSANNA ÁGNES BERÉNYI* RUDOLPH FABINYI AND THE „UNIÓ" FREEMASONIC LODGE IN KOLOZSVÁR The beginning of freemasonry in Transylvania means the cradle of Hungarian freemasonry, too. In Brassó (belonging now to Roumania, as whole Transylvania, too) the freemasonic mouvement began in 1749 and lodges were formed in Nagyszeben, Csíkszereda, Sepsiszentgyörgy etc. one after the other. Each of these towns is situated in Transylvania, with Hungarian inhabitants. The permission for establishing the first lodge in Kolozsvár was asked from the Hungarian governor, Banff y in 1782. This first lodge consisted of aristocrates, priests, physicians, scientists. They founded a Society for Protection of the Hungarian Mothertongue, they helped the Hungarian acting. This evolution was suddenly stopped by the prohibitive decree of the king, which was common in those days with the emperor of Austria. In the 19th century freemasonry revived in Transylvania. In Nagyvárad, lodge „King Ladislaus" initiated seven new members directly for the foundation of the lodge in Kolozsvár. This lodge in Kolozsvár was founded on the 30th of May, 1887, by seven freemason masters, among whom we find some lawyers, physicians and the director of the unitarian high-school. They needid less, than four years for the construction of the masonic house (Trencsén pare, Nr. 8). It was the first masonic house in Hungary. Lodge „Unió" founded its first „daughter-lodge" in Dec. 1890, in Brassó, named „Pannónia", whose name was later changed into .Aurora". Uniofoundedm Sepsiszentgyörgy lodge „Siculia", and „Torda" freemasonic circle in Kolozsvár, etc. The members of the lodge were the notabilities of Kolozsvár and its surroundings. They initiated the Club of collecting rags for poor children, founded a Mason for Women Teachers, and with the présidence of the chief master of the lodge they undated a ..Society Kossuth" for protection of patriotism drawing into it the whole population of the town, not only the freemasons. This activity was continued during the times, when count Ladislaus Teleki was the chief master (1899—1903). In the scope of humanitarian activity they supported the Ambulance of Kolozsvár, the Institution of Deaf-mutes, the Club of Gardeners, the kitchen of the Red Cross for poor people, etc. In 1900 the declaration of the lodge was prepared with the purpose to renew M072,Budapest, Dob u. 15. O. 39.