En: Angelo Soliman
Angelo Soliman
Source: Amen Ra Lodge No.584,Milwaukee,WI
We come again to shine light on mystics and less known Freemasons in history that added seasoning to the craft and royal art of building. Bro:.Angelo Soliman born Mmadi Make c. 1721, probably in present-day northeastern Nigeria/northern Cameroon; made his transition on November 21, 1796, in Vienna. He was taken to Europe as a slave around 7 years old to Marseilles, he was eventually freed and achieved prominence in Viennese society and Freemasonry. Vienna at this time had many fraternal orders, including the Rosicrucian Masonic rite which appeared between 1770 and 1777 in Bavaria,Austria,Bohemia, and Hungary.It was first adopted by the Crescent of Three Keys,a Masonic lodge in Rosenburg. In Vienna,which gave rise to the Three Swords Lodge.The latter became the breeding ground of the Rosicrucian Masonic rite which fostered alchemy. Every family member Bro:.Soliman belonged to was a Knight Of The Golden Fleece, which was founded in 1429 by Philip the Good,Duke of Burgundy.In 1757 he created a Masonic rite-the Societas Roseae et Aureae Crucis(Fraternity of the Golden Rosy Cross) that had alchemical and piest leaning and was composed of Rosicrucian degrees.
These temples included 1772-1778 ‘Zu den drei schwertern’ (The Three Swords) in 1790 ‘Zur Liebe und Wahrheit’ (Love and Truth) and from 1784 ‘Zu den sieben Himmeln’ (The Seven Heavens) observed the rites of the Asiatic brethren. Bro:. Angelo Soliman was transferred to Prince Georg Christian, Furst von Lobkowitz in 1732-34. In November 28, 1739 Prince Georg was made a Knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece. Before his death he had Prince Joseph Wenzel Von Liechtenstein accept him into his household where he gained the title of first valet. Bro:.Angelo Soliman was secretly married to Magdalena Christini in 1768 by Archbishop Migazzi who gave life to their only child Josephine.
In 1745 St. Germain left London for Vienna where he was known as a mystic and philosopher. He was known as the 'American of the Felderhof' which latter became 'Laszia House' in the Lugeck N. 3. Dr. St.Germain also went under the name of Comte Wethlone (Welldone) and Angelo Soliman was a confidant while he conducted business with Prince Lichtenstein. Bro:. Angelo Soliman was well educated and could speak 6 different languages (Czech-French-Italian-English-German-Latin) Freemasonry in Vienna was introduced in 1742 when the lodge’Aux Trois Canons’ was constituted under the auspices of a lodge in Breslau.The papal bull condemned Freemasonry in 1751. Between 1781-1786, Soliman became a member of the ‘True Harmony’ Masonic Lodge. It was in this role that he initiated one of the biggest changes in the ritual of the Lodge, one that has reverberated down through the ages.The Lodge had many famous members such as Mozart and Haydn. Bro:.Soliman rose to the level of ‘Frater terribilis’ and ‘Vice-Grand Master of Ceremony’ what we would call the Worshipful Master in our modern-day Lodges.The Lodge ‘Zur wahren Eintracht’ in the autumn of 1781 Bro:.Angelo Soliman entered as master and proposed that Ignaz von Born should be incorporated. Born was passed to the second degree on November 19th and raised to the sublime degree two days later and on March 9,1782 he was elected Worshipful Master of his lodge. Von Born was a philosopher, a mason,novice Jesuit and mineralogist and later a member of the Bavarian Illuminati. August 1786 within a few months of his accepting office as Grand Master in his essay,(On The Mysteries Of the Egyptians) he stated ”A woman who is not afraid of night and death is worthy and will be initiated.”
So, what did Bro:.Soliman change in lodge? He changed the ritual to allow the reading of scientific papers within the Lodge. Zur Wahren Eintracht lodge pushed members to produce academic works, music or poetry for special, semi-public lodge meetings whose purpose was to spread specialized knowledge and foster debate. The lodge did not stop at producing lectures; it also issued several successful periodical publications. Vienna thus quickly became a center of the Republic of Letters generating a remarkable amount of Enlightenment activity in a few short years. The ideas and methods of the Viennese Enlightenment were a product of and a response to the reforms of Joseph II. It would also be the king’s wariness and lack of support that would cause the Enlightenment movement to recede; by the end of the decade Freemasonry came under state regulation, secret police dampened public debate, and the press became less free.This was a very risky thing at the time, as the Church could very easily label someone a heretic, or even worse. By implementing this change Bro:.Soliman opened the door for many famous Masons to be able to speak and present ideas and theories without the fear of the Church finding out.
The idea spread quickly throughout Europe and enhanced the reputation of Freemasonry being a society of intellectuals.Through their lectures and various publications, this secret’ society became the major source of enlightenment production in Vienna from 1782 to 1785. After that time, as the regime began expressing distrust of Freemasonry and public criticism in general, the Aufklärers in Vienna turned to more private forms of association and satirical works of literature that allowed for subtle criticism with the goal of promoting Enlightenment ideals.
It was at this time that Bro:.Soliman chose 'Massinissa' as his Masonic name, which alluded to the Numidic king of the same name that lived from 240-148 B.C., and was the leader of the new Numidic state, one that was made up of a culture of Carthaginian-Hellenistic roots.
On November 21, 1796, Bro:.Soliman suffered a stroke and died of apoplexy near St. Stephen's cathedral. His body was taken to his home and a death mask was prepared before his body was taken to the Faculty of Medicine at Vienna's old University. Here, in the facility's anatomical theater, his intestines were removed, his skin and skeleton saved, and the rest of his remains were buried in a cemetery on the outskirts of Vienna two days later. The model was kept in a wooden chest that was displayed in the Imperial Library as part of it's natural history display. Here his remains resided for ten years before it was used in displays with stuffed wild animals and the stuffed body of a little African girl and the former African zookeeper of the Vienna Zoo. His daughter tried to get help from the archbishop who married them with no assistance. The order must have come from Franz II, the same family that Bro:.Soliman had served for years. He was removed after his marriage was known. Franz had reversed a lot of the policies of Joseph II, abolishing many of his enlightenment ideas.
Bro:.Soliman left a lasting legacy that is still being felt today. Aside from his initiating the reading of scientific papers in Lodge, he was also rumored to be the inspiration for Mozart's characters Monostatos, in the 'Golden Flute,' and Bassa Selim, in 'The Abduction from Seraglio.' He is also the inspiration for the character of disgraced servant boy in Robert Musil's novel, 'The Man Without Qualities,' written about the end of the Austrian monarchy. The Wien Museum featured an exhibit last year, entitled 'Soliman: An African in Venice' and it was very well received.
