Famous Masons Mozart

Who is this musically minded Freemason born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria?

For the last seven years of his life Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a Mason. The Masonic order played an important role in his life and work.

Mozart’s lodges

Mozart was admitted as an apprentice to the Viennese Masonic lodge called “Zur Wohltätigkeit” (“Beneficence”) on 14 December 1784.^[1] He was promoted to journeyman Mason on 7 January 1785, and became a master Mason “shortly thereafter”.^[1] Mozart also attended the meetings of another lodge, called “Zur wahren Eintracht” (“True Concord”). According to Otto Erich Deutsch, this lodge was “the largest and most aristocratic in Vienna. … Mozart, as the best of the musical ‘Brothers,’ was welcome in all the lodges.” It was headed by the naturalist Ignaz von Born.^[2]

Mozart’s own lodge “Zur Wohltätigkeit” was consolidated with two others in December of 1785, under the Imperial reform of Masonry (the Freimaurerpatent, “Masonic Decree”) of 11 December 1785, and thus Mozart came to belong to the lodge called “Zur Neugekrönten Hoffnung” (New Crowned Hope).^[3]

At least as far as surviving Masonic documents can tell us, Mozart was well regarded by his fellow Masons. Many of his friends were Masons.

During his visit to Vienna in 1785, Mozart’s father Leopold also became a Mason.^[4]