Centre d'études et de documentation maçonniques du Grand Orient de Belgique

The MADOC-CEDOM is Research and Documentation Centre founded in 1969 by the Grand Orient of Belgium. The Grand Orient of Belgium (GOB) was created in 1833 as an umbrella organisation of Freemasonry in Belgium. The GOB is a federation for so-called “Symbolic” Freemasonry only and not of “Scottish” Freemasonry, which has 33 instead of 3 degrees, and which has been governed by the Supreme Council (Suprême Conseil, Opperraad) since 1817. Although many Belgian Freemasons were Catholics, Liberalism became predominant after the episcopal condemnation of Freemasonry (1837). The Belgian lodges played a key role in secular, anticlerical ‘Latin’ Freemasonry. The issue of allowing political discussion within the lodges, as well as the irreligious or more deistic nature of the rituals formed points of conflict. By the end of the 19th century, notably as a result of modifications in suffrage and the advent of new political ideologies, political discussion was increasingly less accepted. In 1959 the Grand Lodge of Belgium (Grande Loge de Belgique, Grootloge van België), loyal to the requirements and rituals of the United Grand Lodge of England and recognised by it between 1965-1976, seceded from the GOB. In turn, the Grand Lodge faced a split of ‘regular’ lodges in 1979. The Supreme Council (Opperraad) too was split up in several smaller federations. Since 1989 a “friendship agreement” (vriendschapsconventie) exists between the obediences of the various Symbolic lodges, in which their disagreements are recognised and accepted. Relevant for this guide is the persecution of Freemasonry by the occupier during the Second World War, because of the alleged ties between Judaism, Freemasonry and Bolshevism. To “prove” this link, the archives of the GOB were confiscated; eventually they ended up, like so many other archives, in Moscow. Several German and collaborationist organisations (including REX and the Antimaçonnieke Bond l’Épuration – De Bezem) occupied the premises of the GOB in Lakensestraat in Brussels. 

The Centre has a rich library with hundreds of monographs on rites, symbols, biographies, Masonic history, philosophy etc. The collection also includes more than forty-five Masonic magazines from twelve different countries. The Centre also holds rich archival material on lodges and international relations, as well as files from recently returned the"Moscow Archive". The Centre additionally preserves artwork and press clippings, among others.  

The MADOC-CEDOM's objectives are to: - Gather documentation relating to Freemasonry, as well as subjects that fall within the scope of Freemasons' concerns (human rights, ethics, etc.). This documentation is analysed and classified by subject. - Make this documentation available to the Society's members in the most appropriate way possible. These objectives still apply, but have been extended to include others, such as : - centralising the bibliographic data of all the Lobe libraries, as well as the contents of their archives. - cooperation with other Belgian Obediencies. - to promote scientific research on Freemasonry, by allowing students and researchers to use the CEDOM-MADOC. 

It is necessary to first contact the director of MADOC-CEDOM (cedom@skynet.be) to arrange a visit to the Centre.