Organized freemasonry in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been documented since 1930, when the light was introduced into the Lodge of Sima Milutinović in Sarajevo, and it probably existed before the First World War, in other contexts.
To this day, there is no evidence that a Freemason’s lodge existed in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Ottoman period, but numerous Bosnians and Herzegovinians such as Sima Milutinović Sarajelije or Mića Ljubiratić were members of lodges in other countries.
As for the Austro-Hungarian period, there are certain indications that before the First World War there was a Masonic lodge in some form in BiH, most likely under the protection of the Grand Symbolic Lodge of Hungary.
It is evident from the architectural traces that Masonic activity has been present since 1890 at the latest, when the first Freemasonry symbols appeared on Sarajevo buildings, which even today testify to the presence of Freemasonry in that period.
The backbone of freemasonry of that period is the Sima Milutinović Sarajevo lodge, founded in 1930. There was also a Freemason’s temple, the location of which is still unknown.
Freemasonry in BiH was renewed in 1998/1999. year, above all, with the help of the Austrian and Slovenian brothers. For the first time in history, in 2005, the Grand Lodge of Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded, and now eight real and complete lodges, two side orders and the research lodge Quatuor Coronati operate under its auspices.