The group is started
Adam Weishaupt starts the Bavarian Illuminati in Ingolstadt during a time when people wanted more knowledge and freedom.
How it started
The Illuminati began in 1776.
A man named Adam Weishaupt started the Illuminati in Ingolstadt, Germany. Here is the simple story of what happened next.
The timeline
History in plain order.
The group is banned
The government in Bavaria bans secret groups. The first Illuminati is forced to hide.
The name becomes a story
Writers keep using the name. The Illuminati becomes a symbol as well as a history.
People still look for answers
The eye, the pyramid, and the idea of hidden help still show up in art, news, and daily talk.
Old papers help us learn.
Letters and pictures should be read with care. We show them as records you can study, not as proof of every rumor you hear online.