American Constitution Workshop in Plovdiv

Post-Conference Workshop 

Masonic Correspondence

After the official part of the URI Europe Assembly in Plovdiv, 22-26 April, Father Petar (Global Council trustee) presented to some members of URI Global and URI Europe interesting historical artefacts in a post-conference workshop at the oldest protestant church in Plovdiv (the first American missionaries arrived in the town in 1859). The workshop’s focus was on the influence of the American culture and democratic values on the citizens of Plovdiv, and in general on the subjects of the Ottoman Empire in the XIXth century.

Discovered in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, the two artefacts are metal plate, hand-engraved manuscripts with two different texts, most probably part of Masonic correspondence from the XIXth century.

First

The original English text of the Constitution of the United States of America, dated after 1863. Dimensions: 20 x 8.6 cm; weight: 92.66 grams; metal – aluminum, average letter size – 0.53 mm. The tablet with the engraved text in English of the Constitution of the United States of America has a list with states with the dates on which they were admitted to the Union as a State or ratified Constitution.

Second

The original Italian text of some Cantos of Dante Aligieri’s “Enfer”, with dimensions: 15 x 11.3 cm; weight: 62. 28 grams; metal – zinc; average letter size – 0.48 mm; average depth of the engraved letters– 0.10 mm.

What meaning they likely had in their time?

For the meaning of the Masonic correspondence in their time and how it was related to the history of the city of Plovdiv, you could read more in the article written by father Petar Gramatikoff.