The existence of the first Lodge in Serbia can be traced back to late 18th century. Serbia was then under the Ottoman rule, but the members of the Lodge were both Serb and Turkish brethren. Little is known of the workings of those Lodges, so we do not know of the name or what ritual they used. It was only in the middle of 19th century that the Lodge “Ali Kotch” was formed, and their members included some of the most prominent figures of that time.

During the Serb-Turkish war in 1876, thanks to Italian soldiers that fought as volunteers, a Lodge “Light of Balkan” was established by the followers of revolutionary and Mason Giuseppe Garibaldi and worked under the protection of the Grand Orient of Italy.

Towards the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century the most influence to Serbian freemasonry was from Hungary, then part of Austria-Hungarian Empire.

It was only in 1912. that the Serbian freemasonry has gained a form of independence and self rule. On 10th of May that year the Supreme Grand Council for both Craft freemasonry and Scottish Rite was formed.

Still, the date that Serbian freemasons consider as the official beginning of organized freemasonry in our land was 19th of June 1919. It was on that day that the Assembly was held in Zagreb (today’s Croatia) and the Craft freemasonry got its first Grand Lodge. Its first Grand Master was George Weifert, the Governor of the Central Bank of Serbia and one of the best known and the most committed freemasons that Serbia ever had.

This period can be considered as the golden age of freemasonry in Serbia, and the membership grew by 1930’s to over 1000. Among its members, Grand Lodge had together Serbs, Croats, Jewish and all other nationalities. Members of the Craft were esteemed citizens, writers, composers, businessmen and the members of royalty. Charity was becoming an important part of our work, resulting in formation of shelters for homeless children, home for hearing deficient and blind citizens as well as hospitals and educational centers.

Like the most European Grand Lodges, our Grand Lodge had to cease its existence in 1940, with the first days of World War II. Sadly, after the liberation in 1945, the new communist government was not favorable towards our Craft, and it took another 45 years for Masonic light to start shining in our land again.

The rebirth of Freemasonry happened on 23rd of June 1990. when the United Grand Lodge of Germany brought the light in the Grand Lodge of Yugoslavia. A year later, a formal Charter was issued by UGLG, thus making our Grand Lodge regular and recognized.

In 1993, the name was changed to “Regular Grand Lodge Yugoslavia”, while the work was done in 5 lodges under its jurisdiction.

Last year, based on changes in our land, our name was changed to Regular Grand Lodge of Serbia, but all international recognitions remained unchanged. We are recognized by almost every Constitution in the world and after recent historic visit to Grand Master of United Grand Lodge of England, our ties with UGLE are stronger than ever in history.

The year 2008 has seen our Craft growing stronger. Thanks to many fine brethren (membership stands at close to 700 in 22 Lodges) it looks like Freemasonry in Serbia is heading for its second “golden age”.

We are seeing the first results of our charitable work, the first English-speaking Lodge was consecrated in 2007, building of our Temple is on its way, ritual work is getting better than ever and judging by the quality of some young masons we initiated in last few years, even better times are ahead of us.

On the bad side, we have to mention the existence of irregular Masonic organizations, comprised mostly of our former members, some of whom were expelled as far as 1993, as well as others that were never worthy to become our members. Based on experience of other countries, we are aware that we are not the only ones to deal with irregular and self-proclaimed “Masonic” organizations, but what surprises most in our case is the persistence and destructiveness of those people in order to damage the work done by our Regular Grand Lodge of Serbia.

Keeping that in mind, we are aware that these problems can only make us stronger, and motivate us to work even more and better.