GREAT PRIORY OF GERMANY

 The Order of the Temple was founded in 1118 in Jerusalem. The success of the Crusaders had brought Pilgrims to the Holy Land from all over Christendom. The city of Acre as last stronghold fell in 1291 and the remnants retired to Cyprus. There followed years of sea warfare, and, from Rhodes and later from Malta, kept up the struggle with the Muslims for another 250 years. In 1307 all Templars in France were arrested, deprived and executed. The Grand Master, Jaques de Molay was hanged in 1314 - the same year of Bannockburn where Templar Knights secured the Scottish victory for Robert the Bruce.

The Masonic Order of the Temple raised its banner in 1745 in Stirling, spreading rapidly. The Grand Master of Lodge Kilwinning, the Earl of Eglintoune, issued a Charter in Dublin one year later to form the Grand Encampment of Ireland. Ireland returned the compliment consecrating many encampments in Scotland although there is no record remaining. On the continent it unfurled its banneers in Germany in 1769. It spread to England in 1777 and a Grand Conclave was formed in 1791 under Thomas Dunckerley as Grand Master. The ritual was standardized in 1845 following the Union and the steady growth of the United Orders ensued and today membership is by invitation only and highly valued worldwide.

On the 19^th November 1957 the "Preceptory and Priory of St Andrews No 96" was consecrated in Frankfurt by the Great Priory of Scotland. There followed three more to form a District under Scotland.

The Founders Convention of the Great Priory of Gwermany was established in Bad Kissingen on the 8^th May 1982 and it adopted and confirmed the initial Constitution and Regulations of the Great Priory of Germany.

The Great Priory of Scotland consecrated our own Great Priory on the 9^th May 1982 in Nürnberg and we continue to use the distinctly Scottish Ritual to this day for all our Preceptories.