Freemasonry and the Knights Templar: A New Order? | Documentary

Marian fussel from geran his aim is to reveal the true story of the Freemasons the search for Clues will take him around the world archaeologist Kate Raphael from Israel she is searching for vestiges of the legendary Knights Templar Donald Richie from Washington deciphers the secret symbols that are hidden all over the American capital i [Music] a late Summer's Day in Hamburg in the venerable Church of s m the members of what is probably the biggest secret society in the world are celebrating a jubilee 275 years ago the Freemasons established their first Lodge in Germany the

fraternity Elite have come to Hamburg to celebrate the anniversary for the first time a camera has been allowed to film their ritual meeting normally such assemblies are off limits to the outside [Music] world worldwide there are 5 million Freemasons in some countries where the society is banned members risk their lives when they meet what kind of people are these Freemasons who operate in secret and who have always been persecuted what sort of knowledge do they take into their lodges and why is the outside world kept in the dark about the organization a hidden parallel world

exists in our midst one with its own special symbols and strange rituals [Music] historian Marian Fel has spent years studying the Freemasons he knows a great deal about the secret society [Music] Legends have centered on the Freemasons for centuries because members must not disclose what happens inside a temple they've taken a vow of silence naturally this provokes Outsiders to come up with all kinds of suspicions and assumptions so it's hardly surprising that time and again in their history the Freemasons have been accused of involvement in all kinds of dark Deeds this secret society selects its

members Mozart belonged to the fraternity as did Johan wolfang [Music] ferta but so did Walt Disney and Winston Churchill jazz legend Louie Armstrong was also a member as was George Washington one of the founding fathers of the United States what goes on behind the locked doors of a Freemason Temple is it really just a case of good person being turned into a better one many critics are convinced that in reality the strange rituals bear testimony to less Humane goals every Freemason takes a vow of silence nothing must be leaked to the outside world in the

past however several Brethren have spoken out as a result we were able to reconstruct some rituals a Freemason begins his career as an apprentice later he becomes a journeyman and only after that is he elevated to the rank of a master in the ceremonies the candidate dies symbolically to be reborn in the circle of his secret Brethren to Outsiders the ritual seems bizarre but to the Freemasons it is important because it forges a bond you can't become a member through your own will or efforts you have to be selected that's also the special status that

is conferred it's not like deciding to join a club you have to be chosen and this fact alone boosts a person's self-esteem and elevates their status I got M [Music] stat it's often a person's mentality that prompts them to accept the offer to join a secret society the need to cut oneself off from others to belong to the elite to know more than people in general frequently the motives are highly egoistic orders like the Freemasons fulfill the dream of individuality in a mass of [Music] society and candidates are prepared to accept a great deal for

the certainty of being something special the initiation right binds each individual Freemason to the [Music] fraternity London the British capital is at the Hub of the Freemason movement [Music] the Freemasons Hall is home to the world's oldest Grand [Music] Lodge Marian Fel has come to visit this venerable building which is regarded as the world headquarters of Freemasonry will the historian find out more here about the true aims of the fraternity he hopes for some answers from John Hamill according to Hamill's visiting card he is responsible for special [Music] questions everywhere fistle sees objects and symbols

which offer an insight into the Freemason beliefs John hamilt knows the legend surrounding his secret society the internet is full of murky conspiracy theories the Freemasons are said to have been responsible for the French Revolution the first world war is also on the list of their dark Deeds for a long time we ignored the conspiracy theories we ignored the outside world and we paid for it in the short term um but delighted now that we've we're reversing it and and and we're back out being open and transparent with people and this building is open to

the public anybody can walk in but if that's the case why are Freemasons not allowed to talk about what happens inside their [Music] temples and what role is played by the ancient Oriental pictures and symbols which decorate the massive bronze door to the holiest of holies they show people constructing a building [Music] the Temple of the Freemasons Hall is full of symbols pointing to the ancient Roots the Freemasons refer to in front of the Master's chair is the pentagram the Five Points stand for wisdom Justice strength moderation and diligence rectangular forms show the importance of

geometry which fundamentally regulates human activity or so the freem [Music] believe the temple is based on a legendary model the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem which is mentioned in the Bible it too had pillars like those next to the Master's chair over 8 m High the pillars known as yahin and boas flank the entrance to the temple of Solomon the building was intended to express something of a divine [Music] nature Jerusalem today are there any indications here as to why Freemasons rever the Temple of Solomon so much our search leads us to where it all

began to the Temple Mount at one time the Temple of Solomon Tower bed up in the heart of Jerusalem the Temple Mount is equally sacred to Christians Jews and Muslims Kate Raphael is one of Israel's leading archaeologists she knows a great deal about the history of the Temple Mount she also understands the importance of King Solomon's Temple King Solomon's Temple is the first that was built in the first time the capital was established so it's the first time since the Jewish people left the desert established the capital and King Solomon's Temple was the first house

of God for the first time built in stone no other building is as steeped in Legend as this one Temple its dimensions are described in the Bible but that is the only source no remains have ever been [Music] found Kate Raphael is about to descend into the underworld of the Holy City close to the Wailing Wall there is a Labyrinth of tunnels she and her colleagues pay regular visits to this place which is so rich in history she is convinced that down here is where the supporting walls of King Solomon's Temple must have stood before

it was destroyed in 586 BC but what made the building so special why do Freemasons try to copy the edifice as yet there are no answers to be found down here only a Stones Throw from the Temple Mount archaeologists collect what has been removed from the system of galleries in recent decades it's the overburden from various evacuation campaigns researchers know that each shovel full could contain an important clue towards helping them to learn more about the history of the Temple [Music] Mount every day they come AC cross relics of the distant past Gabriel bar is

in charge of this exceptional Treasure Trove for archaeologists we have Rich fins which are uh even an arrowead of the army of nebukadnezar which was shot in the destruction of the tumble man we have seals seal Impressions we have Pottery in abundance and even inscribed material so we have enough material from first temple period to uh to justify much activity upon the Temple mount in that time the Divine construction plan which makes the Temple of Solomon so unique is described in the Bible it is accessible to everyone including Freemasons but it was others who brought

the legend of the temple to Europe in the early 11th century the Crusaders set out from Europe for the Middle East their mission was to drive out the Muslims and take possession of the holy sites of Christianity bloody battles were fought in 1099 the Crusaders captured Jerusalem the Crusaders were the first Europeans able to explore the Temple Mount no one knows what they sought Beneath The Wailing Wall Divine Knowledge from the King Solomon's Temple or precious relics perhaps [Music] one thing is certain even the Crusaders were fascinated by the Temple Mount and its history so

it was understandable that the temple should play a central role in the founding of a new order its members called themselves the poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon or for short the Knights Templar the men took the vows of their order before the patriarch of Jerusalem they promised to live in poverty Chastity and obedience the Templars quickly developed into one of the leading orders of knights they saw themselves as an elite as the spearhead of Christianity soon no one knew the tunnels beneath the Temple Mount better than the Templars did the

Templars discover the legendary treasure from the Temple of Solomon in the galleries or did the knights use the tunnels to hide the riches they had accumulated over [Music] time Kate Raphael knows that some people are still searching for the legendary treasure the knight's Templar whatever that treasure might be in reality relics gold perhaps or as some suspect the Holy Grail or perhaps it could be secret knowledge of King Solomon's Temple which the knights revered so much the templers were aware of the possibility that the Treasures of the temple were still in the location they ruled

the Temple mount for 80 years they could have H searched for this Temple more than anybody that came after them but we have no evidence we don't have archaeological evidence we we have no historical evidence that they ever found anything and took it with them to Europe as years passed the Templars became more and more powerful they did not feel accountable to any worldly Authority back then the order acted just like major International corporations do today the Knights Templar manufactured goods and engaged in trade and financial operations from the 12th century their network of facilities

spanned Western [Music] Europe the Templars had become a confraternity that had seed itself off [Music] hermetically the knight's clandestine activities were to have an impact in Europe with their dark legend of the Temple of Solomon the Templars influenced the secret societies that came later like the Freemasons in London the British Knights Templar built their own church Church Temple Church its circular interior is modeled on the Church of the Holy Seiler in Jerusalem Temple Church was blessed personally by the patriarch of Jerusalem in 1185 Paris for many years the French Capital was the headquarters of the

order of the Knights Templar for centuries no one knew where the seat of the order had been located then and 2011 a construction unit discovered the remains of its legendary headquarters it was a world sensation prior to that only street signs had given any indication of a society shrouded in mystery in Paris Marian fil hopes to find out whether there is a link between the knight's Templar and fraternities like the Freemasons his research has brought him to the National Archives stored here are original documents from the days of the Templars a historic treasure that could

help Marian fussel in his [Music] research gizan Brunell has spent many years studying the documents it still seem seems astonishing that this Mighty International Organization should have disappeared virtually [Music] overnight the exact reasons for the trial of the Templars and for the persecution of the order are still the subject of speculation today one possible reason could be the military power it possessed members of the order were trained professionally and retained their weapons even in times of Peace So they constituted a serious military threat even in their own country constituting a challenge to the king's Monopoly

on the use of force but it was not only the templar's military clout that was a thorn in the French King's side he too had his sight set on the knight's alleged treasure and so Philip the beautiful forged a plan to destroy the Templars [Music] [Music] at dawn on October the 13th 1307 Phillip had his troops store in the Templars residences and arrest the knights the day has gone down in history as Black Friday since then Friday the 13th has been regarded as unlucky it was the beginning of a swift end for the Templars for

late medieval Europe it was a shock comparable today with the sudden collapse of the entire banking system the king wanted to eradicate the knight's Templar the historical files tell the details Philip the beautiful simply concocted the allegations that were supposed to justify his brutal course of action against the Templars in the initiation ritual the new Templar had to spit on the cross three times and deny Christ three times novices had to kiss the other members on the mouth on the naval and on the bcks homosexuality was one of the classical accusations leveled at Heretics ever

since the 3r century Heretics had been accused of being homosexual of being in League with the devil and of worshiping Idols at their meetings it was alleged the Templars worshiped a bearded head and even a black cash these concocted accusations proved disastrous for the Templars no one knew anything about the inner life of the order the general public was taken in by the lies in this case the strict secrecy they upheld meant the death penalty for the once so proud Knights [Music] Templar in Paris on March the 18th 1 194 jacqu de mole the fraternity's

last Grandmaster was led to the stake he never disclosed the secret of the legendary Templar treasure rumors were rif the Templar ships it was claimed had set sail from lelle heading for an unknown destination with the treasure on board just a myth perhaps Jac de mole knew the truth when he was executed the king had him burnt on damp Willow a particularly horrific punishment because the wood burns [Music] [Applause] [Music] poorly on that day the order was officially crushed and yet numerous Tales describe how the Templars lived on in secret under a new guise after

the order was smashed some Templars it is said found a new home in Scotland ever since then this country on the fringes of Europe has been seen as a stronghold of clandestine societies but is there any real proof that this is where the French Templars fled to historian Marian Fel is on his way to the Kil Martin Valley on the west coast fiso believes that a cemetery might yield Clues will this expert on secret societies be able to use them to reconstruct what happened to the Templars after the trials and indeed fle has found something

unusual ancient gravestones decorated with swords knights in armor and flowers symbols of the knight's Templar a row of gravestones that seem to date back to the 14th and 15th centuries is particularly exciting first and foremost they depict noble knights some researchers see these gravestones as an indication that those laid to rest here might have been Templars the Templars came to Scotland and were buried here in the 14th century if the knights found a new home in Scotland couldn't the order still exist there today within their ranks the knights could well have handed down their secret

knowledge of the Temple of Solomon and its Treasures scarcely anyone has played more with this possibility than bestselling arm Dan Brown his novels and the screen adaptations of them have fascinated Millions played by Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatu when they visit Rosland Chapel in Scotland in search of the Holy Grail Dan Brown's leading characters come across mysterious symbols so this is it the gift at the end Jewish Christian Egyptian Masonic Pagan Templar crosses period located near Edinburgh rosin Chapel is something of an enigma a feature Dan Brown made skillful use of he saw the chapel

as a literary Melting Pot of religion legs and secret societies Marian fussel is also familiar with the Legends centered on the church it was commissioned by Sir William Sinclair who had the church decorated with numerous secret symbols including statues of knights the Lamb of God a symbol found on many Templar seals fistle then spots two pillars that seem familiar to him he's seen them once before somewhere the same pillars stand in the Freemasons temple in [Music] London Marian fussel has returned to the Freemason Hall obviously at some time in the past the Templars inspired the

Freemasons with their knowledge of the Temple of Solomon John Hamill is showing the historian symbols which testify to a Fascination for precise architecture these include a compass and a square the origins of Freemasonry are largely unknown a fact which leads time and again to speculation modern research tends to see its origins in the bow huton movement of the Middle Ages in the environment of Cathedral Architects and within this movement which was organized on a guilt basis structures developed which led to Modern Freemason R in the late Middle Ages the members of the bowood church Mason's

lodges covered the entire continent with a network of magnificent Cathedrals like those in chantra Cologne and Salisbury Architects and the bhuton guild enjoyed immense privileges they had their own laws secret hand signs revealed who was a member and what rank they [Music] held in England these Architects refer to themselves as Freemasons they move from Cathedral to Cathedral offering their services in those days ordinary folk lived in dark low huts so for them the gothy cathedrals built by the master stone masons the Freemasons were architectural Miracles the bhuton were a secret society of knowledge these weren't

simple Masons but Architects an intellectual Elite in other words who had access to monarchs who were at the very Apex of society this had nothing to do with some low trade but people who had specific technical expert and who naturally were also able to exercise a certain degree of power in society does this mean in fact that fugitive Templars and ambitious Architects got together Marian fussel has received permission to view historical documents in the secret society's internal archives they include the statues of the fraternity and the founding docu of the world's oldest Grand Lodge it

points to a decisive transition the document was signed in 1717 by a certain Mr atne Seer gentleman so the first Grandmaster was no longer a Craftsman but an educated figure from a comfortable middle class [Music] background the former Craftsman's Association had develop further into a class spanning fraternity but why what do Lodge Brethren experience in their clandestine meetings what does this elitist Circle which operates in secret actually [Music] plan the Freemason sought the proximity of the Rich and Powerful of their day for the individual this could well have been just as fascinating as the appeal

of [Music] secrecy in the 18th century Freemason re soon developed into something of a fad it became very attractive for the social Elite to become members mainly because there was a great need at the time for class spanning sociality to be able to freely exchange views with others in secret to discuss issues of all kinds beyond the bounds of politics and religion the Freemasons were able to satisfy this need for sociality to a particular degree close commercial links saw Freemasonry spread from London to Hamburg in 1737 the first German Lodge was founded the Lo in

Germany too the Freemasons immortalized themselves in Monumental buildings and sought greater influence and Power [Music] power but the authorities found their ideals dubious they suspected the Freemasons of pursuing Anarchy and subversion King Frederick William the first of Prussia demonized the Freemasons he feared the competition from this exclusive Society but not even the Monarch could prevent the fraternity from Gaining a footing amongst the elite at a secret meeting in bronik even the king's own son was accepted into the order in the course of just one evening the Brethren elevated Frederick the great to the level of

Master was the inclusion of the elite part of a secret plan geared to gaining control of the world why else should the society go to such lengths to ens snare those with power it's fascinating to note how quickly the Freemason succeeded in acquiring members even from the highest echelons of society and in finding numerous supporters even among the most powerful figures in Europe so we're not talking simply about some Bourgeois Association even the nobility and ruling princes were also a part of the Freemasons time and again the Freemasons were associated with dark Mysteries these rumors

culminated in the bizarre mindscape of hinley him the head of Hitler's SS was looking for the Holy Grail and suspected that it was part of The Treasure of the knight's Templar himler reckoned that the Freemasons were closely linked to the old order and that through them he could acquire the coveted treasure so in January 1937 he had the Freemasons Lodge near the aler lake and Hamburg pulled down hi Hitler good [Music] himler felt totally justified in destroying the fraternity's temple the National Socialist saw the Freemasons as part of a huge World conspiracy that had to

be [Music] combed members of the order had performed their rituals in the temple in Hamburg for 200 years but then the Nazis banned the secret [Music] Society being a Freemason in the third R meant risking your [Music] life in their search for the great secret the fraternity was believed to have kept the Nazis had the Freemason Temple demolished Brick by brick himler was obsessed with esoteric ideas he surrounded himself with divers and had archaeologists with the German ancestral heritage Society research occult themes the Freemasons did not fit in with the image of the ancient Germanic

religion which was to be used henceforth to explain the world the Nazis didn't find any treasure in the Hamburg Lodge but they did cause serious harm to the secret society as long as long as they were in power the Freemasons had to go underground Professor rudiger templin is Germany's leading Freemason as he heads for the lodge he looks no different from an ordinary businessman it's only inside the building that the Brethren put on their Freemason dress the apron has its origins in the bow Hurtin Church Masons lodges it protected the stone masons from flying chips

that top hat is an ancient symbol of Freedom the white gloves represent pure and spotless [Music] AXS the real secret is the emergence and growth of a person's character in Freemasonry starting with the initiation experience that's something you need to have experienced personally it's hard to describe that is why the search for a secret will always remain futile is it this seclusion that Spurs the imagination and engenders conspiracy theories but why all the secrecy if there is nothing to [Music] [Applause] hide the fact that the Freemasons are not as insignificant as they sometimes claim is

evident in Washington DC is the capital of the world's leading economic and military power also the center of a secret world government as some claim and scarcely any other City on our planet are secret fraternities as active as they are here some presidents are known to have been members of several secret societies at once do the fraternities clandestinely determine the guidelines of American policy Marian fistell has come to Washington DC to gain an impression of how far secret societies have infiltrated American politics his first stop is the capital he has arranged to meet Donald Richie

the US Senate's Chief historian meet you welcome to the capital Richie knows the capital like the back of his hand he tells his colleague that it was constructed by Freemasons who immortalize themselves in the building hundreds of times over enthroned in the famous dome is no less a figure than George Washington himself the Freemason who here has ascended into heaven in Godlike fashion led the capital's Foundation [Music] Stone Key Circle strove to emulate him onethird of the generals in the American war of independence Belong To The Secret order throughout the capital Marian fistle finds signs

and symbols of the kind the Freemasons also used the heart of the world superpower seems like a set in stone tribute to the secret society even today American presidents are still sworn in on the same Freemasons Bible in which George Washington once took his oath of office the last president to be sworn in with this Bible was George Bush Senior I George Herbert Walker Bush so help me God congratulations but in whose interest does the president act does he serve the American people or the secret fraternity the democ Democratic power is given only for a

limited period but the members of a secret society belong for Life the presidency too is sometimes like an order one problem is that you almost need a split personality because of the various loyalties involved with the oath of office the state rightly demands total loyalty and the scrupulous performance of Duties this can result in conflict with the objectives of some secret societies there are 3 million Freemasons in the United States the capital's biggest temple is located only a Stones Throw from the White House the Founding Father of the United States George Washington after whom the

capital is named is honored with his own Monument built by Freemasons it stands impressively in Alexandria near Washington DC [Music] it's not only Monumental buildings the entire capital in fact is said to have been laid out in line with a secret plan drawn up by the Freemasons the Lodge's Brethren are believed to have immortalized themselves everywhere historian Donald Richie knows these dark theories but neither he nor Marian fussel can see the most impressive symbols from the ground that is only possible from the air [Music] from a satellite perspective it becomes clear what conspiracy theorists have

detected on the city map they have identified a pentagram a compass a cross and right angles all of which are Freemason [Music] symbols did the fraternity really immortalize itself in the layout of the streets the Kiplinger library is the oldest in Washington here historians are allowed to examine plans dating back to the time when the city was founded it turns out that city planner Pier lefon himself was not a Freemason however those who commissioned him most certainly were and they wanted clear geometrical lines in the urban layout but we cannot say whether they directly commission

Freemasonry symbols like pentagrams and Compasses we have a great long history of conspiracies and speculation uh and it affects our politics it affects um affects everything else and so I it it doesn't surprise me at all that people can look at this and see something that perhaps wasn't intended at all but but fits their plan in 1982 the iPic that the Freemasons do not exist solely for reasons of self-discovery and personal development received fresh impetus after pedestrians in London made a horrific Discovery hanging from a nylon cord under Black frier Bridge was a body the

Dead Man Came From Italy his name Roberto Ki [Music] the trail led to Rome to the Vatican Roberto Calvi was the Pope's Banker his brief was to increase the church's multi-billion dollar [Music] Fortune Marian fistell has good reasons for his interest in the calii murder case why had Roberto Calvi traveled to London where he met such a dreadful fate [Music] perhaps journalist Mario guino knows the answer he followed the CI case for many years that is how long the official investigations [Music] took they revealed that the Pope's Banker belonged to a secret fraternity its name

propaganda du known for for short as P2 but what was the nature of this secret society the P2 was a kind of parallel government it didn't want to bring down the government instead the aim was to penetrate it with deputies Senators businessmen and bankers the P2 had control of the the finances many banks were headed by members of the P2 through his investigations Marian fussel opened up a can of worms initially the propaganda du was just a simple Freemasons Lodge then it was infiltrated by criminals the secret meetings were held in the hotel excelsor [Music]

in Italy the lodge is notorious initially the Brethren still supported social projects but in Cal's day the lodge had long since changed and become a dangerous Network whose true goals no one really knew about did Ultra right Puppet Masters want to make propaganda du Italy's secret government backed by the United States it was driven by Fierce anti-communism and a craving for money and power later in its judgment a court ascertained that the men who met in the excelr were financing other [Music] criminals Terror was to be used to create a Charged overheated atmosphere which the

lodge Brethren would then utilize for their own ends Roberto Ki operated amongst unscrupulous Wheeler Dealers who wanted to change Italy in 1980 a bomb planted at bolognia railway station killed 85 [Music] people 2 years previously the president of the ruling Christian Democrats Aldo Moro had been abducted and murdered here too there were links to propaganda do was the aim to pin the blame for the attacks on the Communists it's hard to work out what was really behind all the accusations propaganda du remained shadowy what is clear however is that potic policians bankers and mafosi met

here they forged plans and did Crooked [Music] deals Roberto Calvi wanted to profit from this network the head of the Bano abano was supposed to provide the church with fresh money to support the struggle of Christians in Eastern Europe [Music] investigators today suspect that CI borrowed money from the mafosi in propaganda du in ordered to speculate but profets failed to materialize the mafia wanted its money back CI realized too late that he had made a PCT with the devil and there was no getting out of [Music] it or was it merely the criminal environment that

fascinated Roberto CI about propaganda du the suspicion has been confirmed often enough also through trials that criminal elements belong to this secret society that criminal wheeling and dealing was also part of the activities of this Association that those who perhaps weren't criminals when they entered the society definitely planned to accept certain advantages that they said it wouldn't hurt to have links with this mure too especially in Italy where the mafia has probably infiltrated every organization already in the end his contacts with the mafia proved fatal for Roberto CI his bank had outstanding debts of around

€750 million EUR in his desperation the banker wrote a letter to the pope he accused the pontiff of of leaving him in the Lurch a few days later Roberto calii was dead hanged from a bridge the CI murder trial ended with AC quitt for the accused but questions Remain the case shows that secret societies can also be dangerous propaganda Dy was banned but the proceedings had no effect on the Freemasons as a whole even though they are often accused of being the reading ground of evil especially as no one knows for certain what happens behind

their closed doors from the point of view of conspiracy theorists those who like to believe in the power of secret societies such an aquid changes nothing indeed it generates even more suspicion that this judgment too was engineered so there's actually no escape from this conspiracy fixation my belief is that if organizations which are regarded as secret have any power at all this power is founded on Legend and not on their actual activities secret societies have been around for a long time they hold a mysterious appeal but what are their real goals precisely what are they

planning we can only guess much can be explained and much is even bana yet for a long time to come people will continue trying to bore their way into the inner workings of these secret orders [Music]