10 Notable Members of the Bavarian Illuminati

Terry Melanson

Webmaster/editor of Conspiracy Archive; author of Perfectibilists: the 18th Century Bavarian Order of the Illuminati.

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12 Responses

  1. You have this up again finally, awesome.

    There is one future plan I have for my Blog which I had planned to reference your refutation of the Kolmer legend. So that is the only thing left from the Bavarian-Illuminati.Info site I need.

    Ludwig X. Landgrave von Hessen-Darmstadt isn’t listen on that German wiki’s list of know Illuminati, Christian was the only Darmstadt I found there.
    http://illuminaten-wiki.uni-erfurt.de/Mitglieder_des_Illuminatenordens

  2. Good catch. Ludwig von Hessen-Darmstadt is listed in Herman Schuttler’s book on Illuminati members, and also in the introduction to the Bode Diary translation. Not sure if he was mistaken or missed it somehow when they did the wiki. Schuttler also lists Christian von Hessen-Darmstadt as a member – in his membership book, the Bode Diary book, and the wiki (sourced to the Swedish Box archive). I should probably ask him for clarification.

  3. Ralph Busche says:

    Interested in getting information on Busche F. H.
    We share the last name.

    • Misprint by John Robison. The member he was referring to was Bussche. Short bio from my book:


      Bussche, Christian Wilhelm von dem (1756 – 1817)

      Alias: Bayard

      A lieutenant-colonel in the service of Hesse Darmstadt, Bussche accompanied J.J.C. Bode (at the time, the head of the Illuminati) on his trip to Paris in 1787. According to Knigge’s report in July 1782, Bussche was insinuated on June 30, 1782 as a Novice and was then presently a Minerval. Knigge describes him as a friend who’s “rich, clever, generous and prudent.” Bussche was also a member of the Strict Observance (alias, ab Fontibus Eremi).

      German bio from the Illuminaten project;
      https://projekte.uni-erfurt.de/illuminaten/Christian_Wilhelm_von_dem_Bussche

  4. Brimelow says:

    What’s up was Anacharsis Clootz a member of the Illuminati, Nesta Webster says he was and he kept it secret?

  5. David says:

    Why did you leave out Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe? He wrote Faust which is about Simon Magus. You have little understanding of how important Simon Magus is to the Illuminati.

    • Everyone knows about Goethe. Not the most important, famous or popular members but ‘notable’ in the sense of those who had a hand in revolutionary activities or those who had attempted to extend it beyond the suppression. I should have been more clear why they are notable; I’d assumed it would be self evident by the bios.

      That being said, the Illuminati couldn’t care less about Simon Magus being that the latter was a magician which the Illuminati frowned upon. The fairy tale from christian conspiracists that the Illuminati were occultists extraordinaire is the exact opposite from reality. The Illuminati hated occultism and superstition. Their entire existence was devoted to extirpating it and/or exposing it. Cagliostro and Saint Germain and all the gold makers and Rosicrucians were laughed at and exposed continuously.

  6. Can either Schroder or Herder be connected to the “Modestia cum Libertate” lodge of German Freemasonry? I know Goethe can but if he’s the only Illuminati connection for it that would be a weak one.

  7. Emanuel Pentecost says:

    Mr. Melanson, I have been reading your book, I am in the Ks in the supplement. Under Koppe, there is an Illuminatus named Shafer, alias Prometheus, but I don’t see anyone by that name listed elsewhere. Any further information?

  8. I think Mathias Metternich (1747-1825) is the only one of these 10 to not have a Wikipedia page.

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