The Mother Lodge
The name, history, and significance of Ruprecht zu den Fünf Rosen — Rupert of the Five Roses — the mother lodge whose traditions Alt Heidelberg Lodge No. 821 proudly continues.
The Name Explained
R5R is the familiar shorthand for Ruprecht zu den Fünf Rosen — in English, Rupert of the Five Roses. This is the name of the mother lodge from which Alt Heidelberg Lodge No. 821 descends, instituted in Heidelberg on 16 November 1856.
Ruprecht (Rupert) refers to Rupert III of the Palatinate (1352–1410), who became King of Germany in 1400. As the Elector Palatine, Rupert was a distinguished patron of scholarship who founded the University of Heidelberg in 1386 — the oldest university in Germany.
Fünf Rosen (Five Roses) refers to the five roses that appear in the traditional heraldic arms of Heidelberg. The rose has long been a symbol of the city, and the five-rose motif connects the lodge directly to the place it calls home.
Together, the name Ruprecht zu den Fünf Rosen declares the lodge to be of Heidelberg — rooted in this city's history, its tradition of scholarship, and its civic identity. The five roses appear symbolically in every aspect of lodge life, and the abbreviation R5R has become a badge of fraternal pride.