According to Serbian Economist, an international Masonic convention organized by the Regular Grand Lodge of Serbia took place in Belgrade. Representatives of Masonic organizations from five continents arrived in the Serbian capital, and the meeting itself was timed to mark the centennial of the 1926 Belgrade Masonic Peace Congress.
The organizers presented the event as a symbolic gathering dedicated to peace, dialogue, and the memory of an event that was viewed in interwar Europe as an attempt at reconciliation following World War I. Details of this year’s convention program were disclosed only sparingly in public announcements; however, the Regular Grand Lodge of Serbia noted that an international congress, an academy, commemorative events, and the annual assembly were planned in Belgrade.
The history of this issue dates back to the 1920s. After World War I, Europe sought to establish a new system of relations among former adversaries. At the political level, the 1925 Locarno Agreements became a symbol of this process, while in Masonic circles, the 1926 Belgrade Peace Congress played a similar role.
At that time, representatives of 20 national Masonic lodges from 15 European countries, as well as two overseas lodges, gathered in Belgrade. In historical publications, this event is sometimes referred to as the “Masonic Locarno,” as it was linked to the idea of reconciliation and the restoration of ties between European societies after the war.
One of the symbolic moments of the 1926 congress was the public reconciliation of French and German Freemasons following World War I.
Freemasonry, or Free Masonry, is an international fraternal movement that emerged in its modern form in Europe during the Early Modern period. Its origins are linked to the professional guilds of medieval stonemasons and builders, while its modern organizational form is associated with the establishment of the first Grand Lodge in London in 1717. Over time, Freemasonry evolved not into a professional craft guild but into a network of societies based on rituals, symbolism, and the ideals of personal improvement, brotherhood, charity, and moral education.
According to estimates by major Masonic organizations, there are approximately 6 million Masons worldwide. One of the oldest and most influential organizations—the United Grand Lodge of England—unites about 170,000 members and more than 7,000 lodges in England, Wales, and overseas districts.
However, there is no single global “central authority” in Freemasonry: various Grand Lodges may or may not recognize one another, depending on their own rules and traditions.
There are several Masonic organizations operating in Serbia, but the Regular Grand Lodge of Serbia positions itself as the sole sovereign, regular, and internationally recognized Grand Lodge within the country.
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