The UK´s first dedicated centre for research into freemasonry, based at the University of Sheffield, will be hosting a public lecture to mark the start of a new directorship. The lecture will be given on Thursday 13 March 2008 by Doctor Andreas Önnerfors, the new director of the Centre for Research into Freemasonry.

The lecture, which is entitled `Press between the private and the public: Freemasonry as a topic in 18th Century journals´, will explore how various European journals from the 1700s covered the secret and public images of freemasonry and how they reflected European thoughts of the time.

The Centre for Research into Freemasonry was established in 2000, as the first centre in a British university devoted to scholarly research into the freemasons, the fraternal organisation. The Centre studies the historical, social and cultural impact of freemasonry, particularly in Britain.

Dr Önnerfors is a widely-published expert on freemasonry and joined the Centre as the new director earlier this year. Originally from Germany, he has also conducted research into Swedish cultural identity, as well taught courses on European Studies.

He said: "Research into freemasonry is a fascinating topic that requires comparative perspectives, which is highlighted in my lecture. It is a social and cultural phenomenon that transgresses the borders of national historiographies, languages and traditions and provides us with access into the world of imaginations, ideas and identities of people of the past.

"My lecture will for the first time explore the similarities in coverage of freemasonry between a British and a German publication of the period, something that has never been observed before."

Notes for Editors: The lecture will take place on Thursday 13 March 2008 at 5:15pm, at the Douglas Knoop Centre, 34 Gell Street, Sheffield.

Doctor Önnerfors is available for interview about the lecture or the work of the Centre for Research into Freemasonry.

For further information, or to arrange an interview with Doctor Önnerfors, please contact: Tessa Humphrys in the University of Sheffield's Media Team, on 0114 2221046 or emailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." title="blocked::mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.