After a pilot phase in 2017 that was only open to freemasons, the then Mayor of Bern, Alec von Graffenried, officially opened the Masonic Museum Switzerland to the general public on 3 November 2018.

To become a Freemason, you have to register with a lodge or grand lodge independently, as Freemasonry does not actively recruit members. Motivation and personal suitability in relation to Masonic values are assessed in an examination procedure involving several interviews. Neither inheritance nor family connections or financial means are decisive for admission - only the personality and inner attitude of the candidate are decisive.

Even though the foundation of the Nobel Prize has certain parallels with Masonic ideals, Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) was not himself a member of a lodge. Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923) was a member of a lodge of the Grand Orient de France, Theodor Tobler (1876-1941) was a member of the Bernese lodge ‘Zur Hoffnung’ and André Citroën (1878-1935) of the lodge ‘La Philosophie positive’ of the Grand Orient de France.

Freemasonry consists of various obediences (grand lodges) that are organised independently of each other and maintain different rituals and traditions. Some emphasise spiritual and philosophical aspects, while others are more socially committed. There are also all-male, all-female and mixed obediences, which differ in their structure and orientation, but all share the fundamental principle of masonic work on themselves and society.

Freemasonry is traditionally divided into three degrees: Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master. The Apprentice degree represents the beginning of the Masonic journey and the work on oneself, while the Fellow Craft degree symbolises further development and the pursuit of knowledge. The Master degree symbolises the completion of basic Masonic training.

Modern Freemasonry only emerged in 1717 - long after the death of Leonardo da Vinci in 1519. Although his works contain geometric and symbolic elements that also play a role in Freemasonry, there is no historical evidence of a direct connection. Theories about secret messages in his paintings are speculative and lack a reliable basis.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), English physicist, writer and detective storyteller who invented the character of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, was a member of Phoenix Lodge No. 257 in Portsmouth.

As a memento mori, the skull in Freemasonry symbolises the transience of human life and reminds the brothers that their existence is finite. As Freemasonry is not a religion and makes no promises of the afterlife, Freemasons are encouraged to work in the here and now. This symbolism is intended to encourage him to lead a conscious, virtuous life and to place wisdom and humanity above material transience.

The square symbolises righteousness and justice, while the compass embodies the unifying force of brotherly love that unites Freemasons with all people.

Freemasonry is banned in many totalitarian states because it advocates individual freedom, humanity and freedom of expression - values that authoritarian regimes often see as a threat. As Masonic lodges are independent and do not accept state influence, they are seen as potential opposition groups in dictatorships. In addition, totalitarian regimes mistrust the discretion and international connections of Freemasonry, which is why they often categorise it as subversive or anti-state.

Masonic lodges are organised as associations and are subject to the respective national association laws. They are mainly financed by membership fees, which are used to cover running costs such as rent or administration. In addition, they can be supported by donations or legacies, which are often used for charitable purposes or the preservation of lodge buildings. A central component of every meeting is also the collection for charitable purposes, which is used to support charitable projects and aid organisations.

Modern freemasonry originated from the stonemason brotherhoods of the cathedral building lodges of the late Middle Ages, which cultivated operative rules of the trade and symbolic rituals.

In contrast, ancient Egyptian mystery cults originated from religious initiation traditions with no direct connection to Freemasonry. The Knights Templar, a medieval order of knights with a military-religious character, also has no demonstrable historical continuity with Freemasonry. Similarly, there is no direct link to the Order of the Garter, an elite British chivalric order whose aristocratic structure and objectives differ fundamentally from the Masonic idea of equality.

Even though the essence of Freemasonry is discussed in the conversations in Thomas Mann's ‘The Magic Mountain’, Mann himself was not a Freemason.

Carl von Ossietzky was a member of the Hamburg lodge ‘Menschentum’, Lessing of the Hamburg lodge ‘Zu den drei Rosen’ and Tucholsky of the Berlin lodge ‘Zur Morgenröte’.

Freemasonry is considered a secretive society because it does not publicise the personal experiences and exchanges between members or its rituals and symbols. This discretion serves to protect individual development and the free expression of opinions within the lodge. At the same time, its values and goals are open to public scrutiny, which is why it is not a secret society but a discreet community.

Freemasonry is neither a sect nor a substitute religion, as it has no dogmas, promises of salvation or binding beliefs. It does not demand any specific religious beliefs from its members, but promotes individual spiritual freedom and ethical self-improvement. It uses symbols and allegorical representations for moral and philosophical training.

Since the office was founded in 1789, 45 people have held the office of US President. Of these, 15 are known to have been Freemasons, beginning with George Washington as the first president. The last undisputed Freemason among them was Gerald Ford. Ronald Reagan received an honorary membership in 1988, and Joe Biden was proclaimed a ‘Mason at Sight’ by the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of South Carolina in 2025, although it is disputed whether he actually accepted the membership.

The idea of a united Europe is not new and was taken up by thinkers and Freemasons such as William Penn, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Victor Hugo, Giuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi.

After the Second World War, it gained new significance, based on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Pioneers such as the Freemason Winston Churchill, Konrad Adenauer, Robert Schuman, Paul-Henri Spaak, Alcide de Gasperi and Ernest Bevin drove European integration forward, for example with the founding of the Council of Europe in 1949 and the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957.

The motto ‘Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité’ (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity) became a central motto during the French Revolution and is still the national motto of France today. It reflects ideals that are also important in Freemasonry, as it advocates personal freedom, social equality and fraternal solidarity. Many revolutionaries, including the Marquis de Lafayette and Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, were Freemasons, but the movement itself was not driven by Freemasonry. Rather, both shared ideas of enlightenment and progress.

The Roman Catholic Church prohibits its faithful from becoming members of Freemasonry, as it considers its principles to be incompatible with church doctrine. The 1983 declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith emphasises that Catholics who become Freemasons are living in a state of grave sin and are not admitted to Holy Communion. The main reproach lies in the Masonic world view, which is regarded as relativistic and contradicts the exclusive truth of the Church.

The Masonic principles of liberty, equality, fraternity, tolerance and humanity have their roots in the European Enlightenment of the 18th century. They were influenced by the philosophical and political movements of the time, in particular the ideas of John Locke and the Freemasons Montesquieu and Rousseau. Freemasonry adopted these principles and combined them with its ethical and humanistic ideals. Liberty, equality and fraternity in particular later found their way into the French Revolution, while tolerance and humanity remained central values in the Masonic tradition.

The Capitol in Washington, D.C. was originally designed by William Thornton, built by Benjamin Latrobe and later completed by Thomas Walter, all three Freemasons. The cornerstone of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. was laid by President George Washington in 1793 according to the Masonic rite. The Marquis de La Fayette ceremonially presented him with the Masonic apron made for him by the Grand Lodge of Maryland.

In Freemasonry, the rough stone (ashlar) symbolises a person's imperfect, natural personality, which is to be refined through work on oneself. Just as a stone is hewn and smoothed to fit into a building, the Freemason should mould and improve his character traits. This symbolic process stands for personal development, ethical education and the constant search for (self-)realisation and perfection.

In ‘War and Peace’, Leo Tolstoy describes Russian Freemasonry at the time of the Napoleonic Wars and links it to his protagonist Pierre Bezukhov's search for meaning. During a journey, Pierre meets the Freemason Osip Alexeyevich Basdyev, who familiarises him with the ideas of the society.

Tolstoy gives a particularly impressive account of Pierre's ceremonial initiation into the lodge, which is associated with symbolic trials and profound conversations about truth and knowledge. This passage reflects Tolstoy's interest in philosophical and spiritual questions and shows Freemasonry as a path of inner development.

The ‘Grand Lodge Alpina of Switzerland’ was founded in 1844 by 15 Swiss lodges as their umbrella organisation and is one of the few national grand lodges to have its own name.