In Part I you understood the early beginning of Weishaupt's carrer. Now let's reveal more of his private and occult life. Weishaupt began to study Masonic writings.

He understood it to separate the Masonic philosophy from the derailment and the spirit of the time. Thus, his understandig of Freemasonry differed of that of other known Freemasons. Until 1785 Weishaupt was professor for canon law and philosophy at the University of Ingolstadt.

Family Relations

What do we know about Adam Weishaupt’s private life? Do we know anything at all? Yes, and what we know is suited to weaken many prejudices about him. In 1777 Weishaupt’s wife became seriously ill. Her sister moved into their house to take care for her, but could not prevent her death on February 8th, 1780. Weishaupt’s sister-in-law stayed with him, and soon the pragmatic relationship became more. After the mourning time, Weishaupt read up on his chances of a marriage with his sister-in-law.

The answer: the new marriage had no chance, because it was considered as incestuous and therefore forbidden. The hope that the marriage would be permitted by a dispensation of the Pope was extremely small. Friends advised that his chances would be higher, if the woman was already pregnant by him. Weishaupt rejected that; he tried the dispensation.

A letter to a friend shows his despair to maintain his self-respect and find new happiness despite the narrowmindedness of his contemporaries. He decribes that he had had little hope for a successful outcome of the dispensation, since the request would have had to pass through the hands of Martin Lehenbauer.

Therefore, his parents-in-law, who supported him, chose a middle course and turned to the grand duke himself.

Now everybody assures him that in 6 or 8 weeks he could marry his wife. This time is cruel for him, almost hourly he waits for the authorization of his marriage. In his letter he begs for leniency if he weakened and recovered in the lap of his girlfriend from all these hours of martyrdom.

However, Weishaupt's request went the way of the bureaucracy - and remained there…

If one reads these self testimonials, it is hard to believe that he was a scheming Machiavelli, who wanted to infiltrate the world. One rather thinks of Romeo, who fought for his happiness.