The aim of this paper was to outline the influence of free masonry on the culture and society of Osijek throughout history, especially during their greatest activity in the first half of the 20th century, the period between the two world wars. Starting with a thorough description of the free masonry, their emergence, the spread on the world, and the creation of various circumstances influencing the activity and the existence of free masonry in this area, until the beginning and the middle of the 20th century, when Osijek's free masonry had the greatest influence on the local culture and society. Several world-famous and influential people are mentioned such as James Anderson, George Payne, and John T. Desaguliers as the founders of free masonry in the world. Apart from them, it is of great importance to mention a number of domestic influential free masons such as Viktor Axmann, who was inspired and heavily influenced by Vienna and Western countries, bringing Osijek to a whole new level in terms of architecture and urbanism; Ivan VIII grof Drašković, who founded the first Croatian Lodge in the 18th century and helped create many other lodges in Croatia; and Juraj grof Niczky, who was one of the most influential members of the first Lodge in Osijek called Vigilantia, soon after which he became the eldest in that Lodge. In addition to influential people, specific moments in the existence of free masonry in Osijek are elaborated, from the first appearance of free masonry in Croatia and dissemination to Osijek, various stages of masonry activity in Osijek from the 18th to the 20th century, to the concrete founding of Lodge Budnost in 1912, then the changes brought about by the First World War in 1914, continuation of activity in the Lodge, its progress, the expansion and ultimately the end of activity that was started by the world crisis emergence and the increase of tensions at the beginning of the Second World War.