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The Count of Saint Germain, a legendary and mysterious figure, profoundly marked the European scene of the 17th and 18th centuries. He attracted two kinds of attention: on one hand, the admiration and trust of kings, scholars, and prominent statesmen of Europe; on the other, the envy and jealousy of those who sought to discredit him, accusing him of being a traitor or a charlatan. However, no betrayal was ever proven on his part, nor were his riches found to originate from dishonest actions. Efforts to trace the source of his abundant fortune were fruitless; he did not use banks or bankers, yet he had unlimited credit that was never questioned nor abused by him.
He had the ability to mysteriously disappear and reappear in different countries. Later writings, based on conjecture and human opinion, fail to unveil the enigmas and mysteries surrounding his figure. The reality is that the Count was an Illuminated, an Adept, a Special Envoy of the White Brotherhood, with numerous missions and responsibilities.
It is believed that he was born on May 26, 1696, the son of the last sovereign of Transylvania, Ferenc II Rákóczi, and Princess Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Rheinfels. After being dethroned by Charles VI, Ferenc II sought to protect his son Prince Rákóczi by spreading the false news of his death and sending him to Florence under the care of Gian Gastone de' Medici. Despite his youth, the Prince stood out for his intelligence and spirituality, becoming involved in Italian Freemasonry while studying at the University of Siena.
His father, a patriot loved by his people, was exiled to Rodosto, Turkey, where he died in 1735. The Prince attended his deathbed and was later sent by the Sultan on a diplomatic mission to Transylvania. Hungarian history, however, describes him as a stranger, a "son of a German woman" who grew up far from his father's tradition. Records suggest his early death, but mysterious events and sightings in various places during those years challenge this claim.
It is vital to understand these contradictions to absorb what the evidence suggests. Despite being a spiritually advanced young man, the Prince never showed signs of the abilities he would later demonstrate. After his father's death, when it seemed he would be reclaimed by his people and the Hungarian Court, strange maneuvers began to occur that soon caught the world's attention. For instance, at the time of Ferenc II's death, his son was seen in Holland, contacting Sir Loane, a prominent Rosicrucian and president of the Royal Society of London. While the Sultan used him in Turkey, the Prince was a guest of the Shah of Persia. He "historically dies" a year after his father, when events might have tied him to an official life in Hungary, and just as he "dies," he reappears in Scotland, living mysteriously until 1745. From there, he moves to Germany and Austria on industrial missions, and then to India to study alchemy. He does not reappear publicly until 1758 when he establishes contact with Marshal Belle Isle of the French army. During all these years, he acted under multiple identities, including Marquis of Montferrat, Count Bellamare, Chevalier Schoening, Chevalier Weldon, Monsieur de Surmont, and Count Soltikoff, before undertaking his mission in Paris under the name Count of Saint Germain. |
