Lodge Bridge of Fellowship is one of several Lodges that make up The Grand Lodge of British Freemasons in Germany within the United Grand Lodges of Germany.

 

What‘s the meaning of all those flags? 

 

  

They show the diversity of nations. Not only amongst Masons in general, but within our Lodge Bridge of Fellowship in particular. 

  

The UK and GE flags on the respective outer sides symbolise the support given by Brr. of those two nations to the Lodge and symbolically resemble the two great pillars in Freemasonry. 

  

The Israeli flag in the centre symbolises not only that nation but stands for the geographical origin of the symbolic allegories used within Masonic Ritual. 

   

Our brethren originate from different countries around the globe. The majority coming from the United Kingdom and Germany. This said, most of our German Brethren have either lived abroad for some time or have strong family-ties to a foreign country. Or they have a migrant family background.

 

What does the Lodge name mean?

 
Bridge: There are two meanings related to this word. Very obvious Nienburg is situated at the River Weser and throughout it's history was and is an important crossing point over this river and a bridge was established lasted when Nienburg became a fortified town. But in the more recent history the bridge might symbolise not just a crossing over some water but rather over former enemy lines. For when the Lodge was founded WW II was not even twenty years past in history and the former enemies developed a feeling of being allies [in NATO] instead. 
 
Fellowship: Here again we can apply a twofold meaning. Fellowship stands for a friendly relationship among people, or the relationship of people who share interests or feelings and thus describes a group of people who have similar interests. So the word denotes Equality to a certain extend.  As general in Masonry Equality is one of the five keystones so certainly our British Founder Members shared the feeling of Equality as a common interest. But again bearing in mind the time of the foundation of the Lodge it also very much indicates the equal footing of British and German Brethren in Freemasonry in General and this Lodge in particular. 


The Lodge Bridge of Fellowship Crest:

Our  Lodge crest shows elements of classical British heraldry combined with symbols deriving from the Lodge name and of course also typical Masonic symbols. 

 

The supporters are positioned as in the Scottish version of the UK Royal coat of arms, the dexter (right) supporter is a crowned English lion, the sinister (left), a Scottish unicorn. The lion denotes dauntless courage and the unicorn extreme courage or virtue and strength. According to legend a free unicorn was considered a very dangerous beast; therefore the heraldic unicorn in coat of arms is chained. Both supporters were also included in the Royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Hanover

 

The unicorn reminds us also of the fact that our Lodge after its consecration (foundation) was to use the premises of the much older German Lodge in Nienburg, Georg zum silbernen Einhorn (lit. trans. George of the silver unicorn). The lion is linked to the histories of England as well as of Lower Saxony. So Henry the Lion, during his time the most powerful of the German Dukes, married Mathilda, the sister of Richard Lionheart. And Nienburg is located right in the centre of the old Duchy of Saxony, which covered all of modern day Lower Saxony and extended well in to neighbouring Bundesländer (federal states) as well as the town of Nienburg was part of the Kingdom of Hanover.

 

The Square and Compasses are the obvious Masonic symbols. We as a Lodge and our Masonic ritual explain these symbols as lessons in conduct; as for example, Duncan's Masonic Monitor of 1866 explains them as: "The square, to square our actions; The compasses, to circumscribe and keep us within bounds with all mankind". 

   

The No 929 is the enrolment number under which our Lodge is chartered in the register of the United Grand Lodges of Germany. 

 

The Bridge with the symbolic waves of water underneath represent the Bridge in the name and of course the bridge crossing the river Weser in Nienburg. And as stated above in the section relating to our Lodge name, the bridge symbolises the establishing of ties between the British and the German Nations and their respective Masonic jurisdictions. 

 

The handshake stands for the Fellowship in the Lodge name as well as the amicable conduct amongst Masons in general and in this Lodge in particular. In heraldry two right hands conjoined denote union and alliance. 

 

Blue or “azure”, as it is called in heraldry, represents the colour of an eastern sky on a clear day. The colour also corresponds to the metal tin. The word, “azure” came to Europe from the Orient during the time of the crusades. It signifies piety and sincerity, and is equated with autumn.