in the venerable church of saint michael the members of what is probably the biggest secret society in the world are celebrating a jubilee 275 years ago the freemasons established their first lodge in germany the fraternities elite have come to hamburg to celebrate the anniversary for the first time a camera has been allowed to film their ritual meeting normally such assemblies are off limits to the outside world [Music] worldwide there are five million free masons in some countries where the society is banned members risk their lives when they meet what kind of people are these freemasons
who operate in secret and who have always been persecuted what sort of knowledge do they take into their lodges and why is the outside world kept in the dark about the organization a hidden parallel world exists in our midst one with its own special symbols and strange rituals [Music] hey you