Paul Rüdiger Audehm (b. 1942) had gained his first practical occult experiences with the Lectorium Rosicrucianum.
At the Frankfurt Fraternitas Saturni lodge in 1962 he was "the only guest who appeared [...] even though he was only a snooper and a crank." [Eugen Grosche to Walter Englert, letter of 7.11.62. From "In Nomine Demiurgi Saturni'] In early 1964 Audehm (who had known Walter Englert since 1963) travelled to Stein (the small village of the O.T.O. of Hermann Joseph Metzger) with his friend and work–colleague Peter Lerch / 'Petrus'. The encounter had allegedly been "determined by Gregorius" [Eugen Grosche]. [Audehm, letter/booklet to P.R. Konig of 8.7.88] During the night after the first meeting with Metzger, Rösli Metzger appeared in a dream to Audehm, with what he described as an "ecstatically distorted expression." [Audehm: "Kampf um Erlösung", Frankfurt 1980, p. 7] In the summer of 1965 Audehm was initiated into the novice degree of Metzger's Illuminati Order at Zurich under his motto of Brother 'Mundus.' At Stein, Audehm also met Günther Naber / 'Beatus', who corresponded with Walter Englert and Gabriel Montenegro. In early 1966, Gabriel Montenegro visited Stein from the USA; we will meet Montenegro (a Mexican by birth), again, e.g. in the Fraternitas Rosicruciana Antiqua and the Mysteria Mystica Maxima. Allegedly he possessed a doctorate of medicine from a body called the "Sierra State University" (which was a fraudulent 'degree–mill'), and was appointed 33°, IX°, and O.T.O. Supreme Sovereign for both North and South America by Metzger. [Englert and Audehm: 'In Gedenken an Dr. Gabriel Montenegro', in "Zion" Vol. I Nº 7, Frankfurt 1969, p. 88] Audehm: "In his retinue there were two peculiar American gentlemen, whom we suspected of being CIA. At Dornach [the headquarters of Anthroposophy] after 'Monti' produced his Lodge certificate, we were able to penetrate to the Holy of Holies; we were conducted therein with great courtesy by a member of the I.O. — a Brother Leo from Zurich. [...] Then on Sunday Herr [Oscar] Schlag [Anupadaka] arrived with about five people and made Montenegro's acquaintance, (as well as [Adolf] Hemberger and myself) [...] One morning we discovered all 'Monti's' charters, passwords and --- signs spread out on the table in the bar [of the Gasthof Rose...] The way I heard it, 'Monti' then left without even saying goodbye, completely humiliated [...] However Montenegro wore a Bishop's ring, and maintained that he would be welcomed in Rome at any time. I believe that he was." [Audehm, letter of 8.7.88] Lignée malabare, copied by Audehm: René Vilatte, Jules Doinel, Theodor Reuss, E.C.H. Peithmann, Arnoldo Krumm–Heller, Herbert Fritsche, Hermann Joseph Metzger. Naber reported to Montenegro about the situation in Stein: "About essentials or spiritual problems most rarely is talked about, the talks that are left are of the spirit of the average beertable discussion." Also Audehm was now fed up and distributed his "Dokumentation über einen Ordens–schwindel" ("Documentation on a Fraudulent Order") [Frankfurt 1968, edition of approximately 100 copies] in which he came to terms with Metzger's titles. His starting–point was the charter Metzger gave to Englert, Audehm and Lerch on November 11th 1966. "We, H. Josephus M., Frater Paragranus, Bearer of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of France, Grand Cross of the Order of Joachites, Profess–Knight of the Ordo Militiæ Templi Cruci [OMCT], Sovereign Grand Master General, O.H.O., Vicarius Ordinis of the Order of Oriental Templars, Sovereign Grand Master of the Order of Illuminati, Sovereign Grand Master General of the Fraternitas Rosicruciæ Antiqua, and Sovereign Patriarch Ecclesiæ Gnosticæ Catholicæ... [etc.]" [Partly from 'Noch Mehr Materialien Zum O.T.O.'] Audehm asked the French Embassy in Bonn for information about some of the titles, and got this reply: "I beg to inform you that Herr Josef Hermann Metzger is not in the ranks of those honoured with the Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit." And: "I must add that there was an 'phantom' honour under the title of 'National French Merit' (and not 'National Order of Merit'). It was conferred by an association unknown to me [...] I know of no Order of Saint Joachim." Metzger tried to produce a legal justification for his antics. "The exact description is 'Grand Cross–Bearer of the Order of Merit of France', according to the document of 10th January 1953, issued by the Universal Order of Knights of Honour and Brothers of Merit (Ordre Universel des Chevaliers de l'Honneur et Compagnons du Mérite) 'pour reconnaître les services rendus a l'humanité'." [Anita Borgert to Ludwig Delp, lawyer, letter of 2.12.70] [From 'Materialien Zum O.T.O.'] R. Horst, the OMCT's Chancellor [Ordo Militiae Crucis Templi], informed Audehm that Metzger was no longer a member of the organisation. [R. Horst to P.R. Audehm, letter of 19.11.68] [From: 'Noch Mehr Materialien Zum O.T.O.'] On July 23rd 1968 Walter and Uta Englert, together with Audehm and Hemberger, united to depose Metzger from his offices as their chief. On October 25th 1968, precisely six years after Karl Germer's death, Metzger took the initiative: "To all who have belonged to the Frankfurt group and registered society Ordo Illuminatorum!" Walter and Uta Englert, Paul Rüdiger, Audehm and Peter Lerch [b.t.w., Lerch never played a part in the IO] were stripped of the "right to appear or act in the name of the Order, or to use the Order's name for themselves or a group." The November 1966 warrant was annulled, as was the group's registration with the authorities in Frankfurt. Audehm and Englert reformed their German version of the Illuminati. As a co–founder, Audehm stated that the use of the name alone was quite sufficient for him, as he had introduced a new set of ingredients into the organisation. Afterwards Audehm made a confession about his projected degree–system: "we hadn't got one — so we made one up." [Audehm, letter of 8.7.88] Their Illuminati Order as expanded to 24 degrees by Audehm and Englert, included the O.T.O. as its 18°, like the earlier project by Metzger and Grosche (to incorporate the O.T.O. in Germany as 18th degree into the FS). "The OTO and the Gnosis (Gnostic Church) are part of the Illuminati Order." ["der illuminat", December 1969, p. 52] "18th. Standard–Bearer of the ORIFLAMME, Knight Templar of the OTO. The OTO's work does not especially consist of Magic (although it contains a distinction between the genders) apart for its being geared towards the achievement of a world–wide Imperium [...] The Law of 'Do what thou wilt' is the Law of this NEW STATE [...] in our days the OTO will appear in public — as HEAVENLY STORM–TROOPERS! The holder of the 18th degree has the power to create a new Order–province, or Order–enclave, wherever he shall pl ease. Further, he can himself found new Orders. In Nomine: Fra Telepharos [Englert] 24° IO, 33°, 90°, 97°, X° OTO. Fra Mundus [Audehm] 23° IO, 32°, 89°, 95°." [Adolf Hemberger, "Pansophie und Rosenkreuz" Vol. II Nº 1, Giessen 1974, p. 88] [Taken from Andreas Huettl und Peter–R. König: "Satan — Jünger, Jäger und Justiz".] Metzger took Englert to court four times altogether — and lost every case, even his lawsuit over the right to use particular names and titles, which was tried at the Federal Court in Karlsruhe. Hemberger appeared as an 'expert witness'. Eventually, Audehm parted from Englert: "The Frankfurt IO got in my way too much, with its petty outlook." [Audehm, "Kampf um Erlösung", p. 21]
Joseph Isidore Grasser 90°, born on June 9th 1906 at Issenheim in the Alsace, founded something with the confusing name of "Ass[ociation]–Martiniste Int[ernationale]. 'Les Stephanios' Internationale Gross–Loge Kether–Paris," on behalf of Robert Ambelain in 1957; it was also affiliated with Ambelain's Memphis–Misraim group. In Grasser's 'Kether Lodge' Audehm went by the name 'Alagris', but was expelled on 15.4.1969: "Just like he was thrown out [...] of the Ordo Illuminatorum in Stein." [Grasser's "Warning" of 15.4.1969] Joseph Grasser: "Audehm wrote to me that he wanted to get rid of Metzger, that he favoured someone other for the position of Grand Master, [...] the new Grand Master had already been nominated to his place, according to what Audehm stated to an American [Montenegro]. Audehm also pretends to be X° OTO." [Grasser to H.T. Hakl, letter of 4.6.69] Horst E. Miers made full use of Audehm's "Dokumentation" and also of Grasser's journal 'Entretien' for his "Lexikon des Geheimwissens" ("Dictionary of Secret Knowledge") [Freiburg 1970]. Grasser seems to have been a curmudgeon and paranoiac. When Frau Borgert presented Metzger with two sons, Simon and Parcival, he made some highly insulting remarks about this in a commentary for his 'Entretien' [March 1982] which we will not reproduce here. In February 1969 Audehm founded his "Zion Lodge" (in collaboration with Englert), and in 1971 the "Ecclesia Universalis Tempelieren von Jeruschalajim" ("Ecclesia Universalis of Templars of Yerushalayim.") In 1976 the "Christkatholische Aszetik" ("Christian Catholic Ascetic") began publication, in which Audehm wrote after 1977 under the nom de plume of 'Uodil von Mihingart' about the "global conspiracy against Christendom." ["1. Kreuzzugs–Brief", Frankfurt 1977, p. 1] Using the alias 'Arp Königsberger' Audehm published small leaflets from this time on. Context for all events listed here can be found using the links above. |
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