More about O.K.F.R.
Our beautiful adventure began in 2006 when three Lodges: Ta Gematria, The Knights of Saint George and Balmung, decided to work in the Swedish System in the Great National Lodge of Romania. This was the initial nucleus from which The Order of the Knights Freemasons in Romania– O.K.F.R. was born.
The first act that confirms that the Lodges Ta Gematria, The Knights of Saint George and Balmung had chosen to work in the Zinnendorf system was signed on behalf of the Grosse Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland – Freimaurerorden by the Ordens+Meister Joachim Klauss, Landergrossmeister Bodo Rasche and from the National Grand Lodge of Romania by the Grand Master, Eugen Ovidiu Chirovici on 12th of October 2006.
After a period of consolidation, and after translating the rituals for the first three degrees, the catechisms, and the book of Otto Hieber on the Zinnendorf System, the nucleus of the Order began to grow step by step, and new Lodges started to work in our system.
On 26th June 2008, the first St. Andrew Loge was established in Bucharest. The name of the Lodge was “Lux in Tenebris,” and brother Ștefan Sebastian Szobotka was the Master of that Lodge.
The patent of the Lodge “Lux in Tenebris” was granted by our German brothers and signed by several members of the Ordensrat: M+O Joachim Klauss, Landesgrossmeister Achim Strassner, Abg. Landesgrossmeister Uwe Matthes and Otto Finsterle, Bro Andreas Mangelsen, Bernd Zimmermann and Elmar Popitz.
In 2010, in Romania, 4 St. John Lodges and one St. Andrew Lodge were working.
Upon the brothers request working in St. Andrew Lodge’s “Lux in Tenebris,” the German brothers from the Ordensrat, granted on 21st of June 2010, a Patent for the consecration of the first Chapter in Romania: “Lux Inviolabilis.” The document was signed by the M+O Joachim Klauss, the Grand Master of M.L.N.R. Eugen Ovidiu Chirovici, and Bro Sebastian Szobotka, who became the Master of the newly created Chapter.
Recognizing the good masonic work and the development of the Order of the Knights Freemasons of Romania, the Ordens+Meister GLLFvD, Joachim Klauss granted us the Holy Good-the Prism on the 22nd of November 2013.
With this final step, our Order was recognized by our German brothers from GLLFvD, as a complete and perfect Order with full power to establish new Lodges and grant any degrees from the Ist‑ to the XIth.
Also in November 2013, Bro Achim Strassner was able to consecrate two more St Andrew Lodges in Romania: “Lux Invicta” for Tg. Mureș, and “Lux in Verum” for Timișoara The ceremony took place at Știrbey Palace – Bucharest (Buftea) and was conducted by Landesgrossmeister Achim Strassner in the presence of Ordens+Meister Joachim Klauss, Master of the Chapter Bogdan Atanasiu and Master of the Lodge “Lux in Tenebris” Vasile Popa.
In 2015, after the German brothers recognized all the steps in developing our Order. Master of the Order, Bogdan Atanasiu signed with Grand Master of the M.L.N.R., Radu Bălănescu, a document that certified that O.K.F.R. has ritualistic powers over all the 11th degrees of the Order, while the first three degrees are in the obedience of M.L.N.R. from an administrative point of view.
In 2019, in the Chapel of Ghica Palace, Bucharest, in the presence of O+M Joachim Klauss and other members of the Ordensrat the first Red Croses-Knight Commanders were granted by M+O Bogdan Atansiu.
In June 2021 in Balchick, The Bulgarian Project started as a bold and somehow unreal idea. On the 21st of April 2023, the first St. Andrew Lodge “Lux de Lumine” in the Bulgarian obedience of OKFR was established. On the 25th of January 2025 “Lux de Lumine” was consecrated in Sofia, under the presence of the Master of the Order, MW Bro. Vasile POPA, and also in the presence of MW Bro Nikoly BOJILOV, the Grand Master of UGLB.
So by this achievement, OKFR opened a new masonic territory under his Obedience as our brothers from Germany did for us almost two decades ago.
