The definitive history of the Bavarian Order of the Illuminati and their founder, Adam Weishaupt

• Details the rise and fall of this famous and infamous Order, including its penetration of Bavarian society and its destruction by the Bavarian government

• Explains the Bavarian Illuminati’s grades, rituals, ceremonies, and fundamental philosophies and examines the leaders of the Order

• Contains the only surviving record of documents that were destroyed during the two World Wars

The most celebrated secret society in the world, the original Order of the Illuminati was founded by Bavarian professor Adam Weishaupt in 1776. Although the Order was banned and brought down by the Bavarian Elector when he became aware of the extent to which it had infiltrated the courts, schools, and his own administration.

Charting the rise and fall of this infamous Order, this book first published in French in 1915 and never before available in English remains the definitive history of the order of the Bavarian Illuminati and their founder, Adam Weishaupt. Many of the documents the author consulted for the writing of this book were destroyed during the two World Wars, making this book the only surviving record of many of the order’s secrets. It is also significant for its history of contemporary Masonic Orders such as the Templar Strict Observance and Von Hund’s Templar Freemasonry.

The author explains the Bavarian Illuminati’s grades, rituals, and ceremonies as well as its fundamental philosophies. He examines the leaders of the Order, including Weishaupt, Baron Knigge, and Xavier von Zwack. He reveals how Weishaupt early on decided to subvert the existing German Freemason Lodge as a shortcut to gain esoteric hegemony over the occult world, all in order to extend Illuminati influence into the society at large and the government. The author also provides extensive detail of the Order’s eventual destruction by the Bavarian government.

In addition to its revelation of little known secrets of the Illuminati Order, the author also sheds new light on much of the occult life of this time, including the activities of figures such as Cagliostro and Mirabeau and other active groups such as Freemason chapters, the Rosicrucians, and the Martinists.

René Le Forestier (1868-1951) was one of the preeminent historians of the occult worlds of the 17th and 18th centuries. His work explored the relations between the many secret societies that existed during this time, with a special emphasis on Freemasonry and Martinism. Jon E. Graham is an award-winning translator, artist, and writer specializing in esoteric topics and Surrealism. He lives in Vermont.

Note to the Reader on Source Material and Abbreviations

Book One
The Order of the Illuminati
ONE The Founding of the Order and the Man Who Founded It
TWO Recruiting for the Order Until 1780
THREE Organization and Grades
FOUR General Features of the Society
FIVE The Order’s Weakness

Book Two
German Freemasonry from Its Origins to 1780
ONE The Beginnings of Freemasonry in Germany
TWO The Strict Observance from 1751 to 1772
THREE Greatness and Decline of the Strict Observance (1772-1780)

Book Three
The Illuminated Freemasonry
ONE The Initial Relations of the Illuminati Order with Freemasonry
TWO Adolph Baron von Knigge
THREE The Reform of the Illuminati Order
FOUR The Grades and Organization of Illuminated Freemasonry
FIVE Political and Religious Doctrines

Book Four
History of the Illuminati System
ONE Effect on the German Lodges
TWO The Zenith
THREE The Legal Proceedings in Bavaria to October 10, 1786
FOUR The End of the Order

Book Five
Weishaupt’s Philosophical Testament
ONE Draft of a Moral Praxis: The Principles
TWO Draft of a Moral Praxis: Critical Theory
THREE Theory of the Secret Society

Book Six
The Illuminati Legend
ONE Formation of the Legend
TWO Illuminism and the French Revolution
THREE The Great Epics: The Legend in History and Fiction
FOUR The Police Legend and the Resurrection of the Order

Sources and Abbreviations

Index