World Conference on Fraternalism, Freemasonry & History: Research in Ritual, Secrecy, and Civil Society The Bibliothèque Nationale ¤ Paris, France May 29-30, 2015 Unveiling the Copiale-manuscript: layers of fraternalism, ritual and politics in eighteenth century Germany Andreas Önnerfors, University of Gothenburg Introduction In 2011 data-linguists from Sweden and the US decoded a manuscript written in cipher, the content of which has been unknown for at least the last two centuries. This so-called Copiale-manuscript and the story of its code being broken with methods of new information technology received trans-national media coverage, but its content remains still to be explored thoroughly. The manuscript can roughly be divided into three main parts: one part is devoted to the fraternal order of ‘Oculists’, the aim of which is to disclose the secrets of freemasonry and to undermine its spread and recruitment. A second part reveals rituals of craft lodges as practiced in Germany at the time and the third part the Scottish Master’s degree, one of the first higher degrees of freemasonry with both a chivalric and sacerdotal element. Furthermore intriguing is a continuation of the Scottish Master’s degree that clearly demonstrates awareness of civil and political rights and the need to recover freedom from tyranny by means of violent rebellion. Last but not least alchemical workings are also addressed. What are the sources of the manuscript? Does it describe German early eighteenth century freemasonry accurately? Why do we find an anti-masonic edge? How can we interpret the religious and political motifs of the higher degrees exposed? All in all, by addressing these questions it appears as if the Copiale-manuscript is like a Russian doll and plays with secrecy and transparency. It reveals significant insights into the state of fraternalism, ritual and politics in German territories of the late 1740s that beg further investigation. Keywords anti-masonic fraternalism, rituals, cipher, political ideas in freemasonry, Scottish Master degree, early high degrees From email to international media story In August 2011, colleagues from Uppsala University, Sweden, Beata Megyesi and Christiane Schäfer contacted me and wondered if I wanted to have a look on a deciphered text from the eighteenth century outlining rituals of a secret fraternity. Naturally, I agreed and spent a day to look through the so-called ‘Copiale’-manuscript. It didn’t take me long to find out that the manuscript is a fascinating account of German fraternal life of the 1740s (my arguments for dating are explained below) and potentially adding a few important pieces to the jigsaw related to the spread of freemasonry in German territories before 1750. In particular this assessment relates to the treatment of the ‘Scottish masters’ degree that occupies nearly a third of the content of the manuscript. This degree, its origin, history, dissemination and ideology is a blank spot in the academic study of freemasonry, to the largest extent a terra incognita, so every piece of information that adds to a more elaborated understanding of it is more than welcome. I was even more enthusiastic to find a sort of continuation of the Scottish masters degree that has a very strong political message directed against tyranny; making the case for natural freedom, to be restored. Finally the manuscript mentions alchemical workings in the context of freemasonry and if my dating proofs to be correct, ‘Copiale’ will challenge and complement established historiographies of