The little blue pin is a flower, a forget-me-not, and it was worn in Germany during World War II. In early 1934, soon after Hitler's rise to power, it became evident that Freemasonry was in danger. The Grossloge zur Sonne (a pre-war German Grand Lodge in Bayreuth, Germany) realized the grave dangers to Freemasons and, anticipating the bloody purge that was to come, adopted an unobtrusive little blue flower, the forget-me-not, as a more subtle symbol than the square and compasses to identify the brethren and thus provide them with an
outward means of identification while lessening the risk of possible recognition in public by the Nazis.

In addition to the confiscation and appropriation of all German Masonic Lodges and property, 80,000 German Masons were put to death following the seizing of Grand Lodge records containing their names and addresses. Fortunately, another 5,000 Masons whose names had not yet been entered in the books of the Grand Lodge were spared, only because their identities were not known.

During the ensuing decade of Nazi power, Masonry went underground. The little blue forget-me-not flower in a Brother's lapel served to identify one brother to another, whether in the concentration camps or in cities throughout Europe. When the German military or the Gestapo inquired "Was ist das?" the simple reply was "eine blume" (a flower). The little blue forget-me-not (das vergissmeinnicht)
distinguished the lapels of countless brethren who staunchly refused to allow the symbolic light of Freemasonry to be extinguished.

In 1947, when the 'Grand Lodge of the Sun' reopened in Bayreuth, a little blue pin, in the shape of a forget-me-not was adopted as the official emblem of the First Annual Convention of the survivors of the bitter years of semi-darkness.

In 1948, at the First Annual Convention of the United Grand Lodges of Germany, AF&AM, the pin was adopted as an official Masonic emblem in honor of those valiant brethren who carried on their Masonic work under adverse conditions.

Thus did this simple little flower blossom forth into a meaningful emblem of the Fraternity, becoming perhaps the most widely worn pin among Freemasons in Germany, where the forget-me-not is presented to new Master Masons in most lodges and its history briefly explained.


"Some gave all, All gave some."

Remember those who made the ultimate
sacrifice on November 11.
May they rest in peace.