What are the VGLvD?
The United Grand Lodges of Germany have existed as an umbrella organisation to order masonic diversity in Germany since 1958. The overall 15.100 German Freemasons are organised independently in five Member Grand Lodges where they actively lead lives in the masonic community.
The five Grand Lodges differ in their histories, their manifestation and in what we Freemasons call system, meaning the very concrete and detailed objects of masonic body of thought. Because all Grand Lodges commit to the universal principles of freemasonry, they are organised in the umbrella organisation of the VGLvD.
This means there are five corporate members of the United Grand Lodges of Germany. A Freemason can only become a personal member of one of the five Grand Lodges and will then indirectly belong to the VGLvD.
Because its task is to represent the Grand Lodges as a united entity in foreign countries and for the German press and general public, the VGLvD has been called the ‘foreign ministry’ or the ‘voice’ of German Freemasonry.
The overall representation of regular Freemasonry in Germany with regard to questions of public representation and foreign representation is carried out by the umbrella organisation, the United Grand Lodges of Germany.
The umbrella organisation is in turn headed by the Grand Master (Mr Michael Volkwein) and the Deputy Grand Master (Mr Frank Mielke).
The VGLvD Senate deals with issues of interest to the whole of Freemasonry. This committee consists of representatives of the member grand lodges and the VGLvD board.
