The Forget-Me-Not
The true story behind this beloved emblem of the Craft in Germany
As early as the year 1934, soon after Hitler's rise to power, it became apparent that Freemasonry was in danger. In the same year, the German Grand Lodge of the Sun in Bayreuth (one of the pre-war German Grand lodges) realised the imminent problems facing them and elected to wear a little, blue flower, the Forget-Me-Not, in lieu of the traditional Square and Compasses, as a mark of identity for Masons. It was felt the new symbol would not attract attention from the Nazis, who were in the process of confiscating and appropriating Masonic Lodges and property. Masonry had gone underground and it was necessary that Brethren have some readily recognisable means of identification.
Throughout the entire Nazi era, a little blue flower in the lapel marked a Brother. In the Concentration Camps and in the Cities, a little blue Forget-Me-Not distinguished the lapels of those who refused to allow the light of Masonry to be extinguished.
In 1947, when the Grand Lodge of the Sun was re-opened in Bayreuth by Past Grand Master Beyer, a little blue pin, in the shape of a Forget-Me-Not, was proposed and adopted as the official emblem of the first annual convention of those who survived the bitter years of semi-darkness, bringing the Light of Masonry once again into the Temples.
At the first Annual Convent of the United Grand Lodges of Germany, AF & AM, in 1948, the pin was adopted as an official Masonic emblem, honouring those valiant Brethren who carried their work on under adverse conditions. At the Grand Masters'
Conference in the United States, Dr Theodor Vogel, the Grand Master of the newly formed VGILvD, AF & AM presented one of the pins to each of the representatives of the Grand Jurisdictions with which the VGLvD, AF & AM enjoyed fraternal relations.
Thus did a simple flower blossom forth into a meaningful emblem of the Fraternity and became perhaps the most widely worn pin among Freemasons in Germany. In many Lodges, the Forget-Me-Not is presented to new Master Masons, at which time its history is briefly explained.
________________________________________
The little blue pin is a flower, a forget-me-not, and it was worn in Germany during World War II. In early 1934, soon after Hitler's rise to power, it became evident that Freemasonry was in danger. The Grossloge zur Sonne (a pre-war German Grand Lodge in Bayreuth, Germany) realized the grave dangers to Freemasons and, anticipating the bloody purge that was to come, adopted an unobtrusive little blue flower, the forget-me-not, as a more subtle symbol than the square and compasses to identify the brethren and thus provide them with an outward means of identification while lessening the risk of possible recognition in public by the Nazis.
In addition to the confiscation and appropriation of all German Masonic Lodges and property, 80,000 German Masons were put to death following the seizing of Grand Lodge records containing their names and addresses. Fortunately, another 5,000 Masons whose names had not yet been entered in the books of the Grand Lodge were spared, only because their identities were not known.
During the ensuing decade of Nazi power, Masonry went underground. The little blue forget-me-not flower in a Brother's lapel served to identify one brother to another, whether in the concentration camps or in cities throughout Europe. When the German military or the Gestapo inquired "Was ist das?" the simple reply was "eine blume" (a flower). The little blue forget-me-not (das vergissmeinnicht) distinguished the lapels of countless brethren who staunchly refused to allow the symbolic light of Freemasonry to be extinguished.
In 1947, when the 'Grand Lodge of the Sun' reopened in Bayreuth, a little blue pin, in the shape of a forget-me-not was adopted as the official emblem of the First Annual Convention of the survivors of the bitter years of semi-darkness.
In 1948, at the First Annual Convention of the United Grand Lodges of Germany, AF&AM, the pin was adopted as an official Masonic emblem in honor of those valiant brethren who carried on their Masonic work under adverse conditions.
Thus did this simple little flower blossom forth into a meaningful emblem of the Fraternity, becoming perhaps the most widely worn pin among
Freemasons in Germany, where the forget-me-not is presented to new Master Masons in most lodges and its history briefly explained.
"Some gave all, All gave some."
