Lodge Origins
Before Phoenix Lodge was an actual lodge, it was a collection of people who met in Berlin in the 1940s. This collection of like-minded people was known as the “Berlin Circle”. The Berlin Circle first came into being in 1947 and was attended by members of Berlin Lodge No. 46 Rhode Island and other men.
As the years went by, the Berlin Circle gathered or made items required to practice ritual and expanded their numbers into the 1950s. They often swapped roles every month in order to build competency in each role of office.
Lodge Formation
Soon the day came on November 9th 1957. The Berlin Circle was able to be consecrated as a Freemasons Lodge. The lodge was consecrated by MW.Bro.Dr. Theodor Vogel, the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodges of Germany AFAM.
The name Phoenix was chosen to symbolise Freemasonry emerging out of its darkness in Germany and to represent Berlin rising from the ashes of its recent destruction. With visitors from as far West as British Colombia and as far East as Hong Kong, the lodge used to meet on Mondays in and around the British sector of Berlin.
Early Days
In the late 1960s Phoenix No. 847 Lodge was meeting in Berlin-Spandau in Block 30 of the Smuts Barracks. This became their official temple in 1969. Phoenix met every single Monday of the year in the early days.
The first Monday was a Lodge of Instruction and a rehearsal night for the next, the second was a Regular Meeting, the third was a Lodge of Instruction and the fourth was dedicated to Lectures and Research. Phoenix introduced a newsletter in 1969 too.
Royal Treatment
In 1977 HRH Queen Elizabeth II communicated with Phoenix Lodge. She conveyed her warm thanks to all members of the Grand Land Lodge of British Freemasons in Germany Past and Present, and their families, for their kind message of greetings and congratulations on the celebration of Her Majesty’s Silver Jubilee which she greatly appreciated.
The Queen sent her congratulations to Phoenix Lodge No. 847 and the 3 other Craft Lodges who were celebrating their 20th Anniversary of Consecration that year and her best wishes for the continuation of the valuable work undertaken by all Lodges.
Three World Globes
By 1994, the Allied Troops withdrew out of Berlin and property was returned to the Germans. The barracks in Spandau were due for renovation, and other buildings in the area were being shut down.
Phoenix Lodge moved to its current home on Heerstrasse, shared with many German Lodges at the Grand National Motherlodge of the 3 World Globes or “Drei Weltkugeln”.
About the Heerstraße Lodge
The 3 World Globes Lodge can trace its roots back to September 1740 and was formed by King Frederick the Great of Prussia. Back then it was the Great Royal Mother Lodge of the 3 Globes till 1772 when it adopted its Grand National alteration to its title.
The 3 globes represent a celestial globe, a terrestrial globe and an armillary globe. The globes sit on a musical pavement in a triangle with the apex pointed upwards. Starting out on Bruederstrasse, or Brother Street in the 1700s, the Lodge eventually moved due to growth in old days and war in more recent days.
The Lodge came to buy and transform Heerstrasse in the late 1950s/early 1960s from businessman Max Feldheim and has been there ever since.
