A Masonic Convention in Wilhelmsbad, a spa…

A Masonic Convention in Wilhelmsbad, a spa near Hanau, in 1782 (or Lyon in 1778?) organizes the Knights Beneficent of the Holy City, more commonly referred to as Chevaliers Bienfaisant de la Cité Sainte (CBCS).

The oldest order connected with freemasonry which has had a continuous existence, it is derived from the Rite of Strict Observance erected in 1754, the foundation of which was attributed to the late Baron von Hund; it propounds a theory that freemasonry was developed directly from the Crusading Templars, embodying a belief that the Order is ruled by ‘unknown superiors’.