Adam Weishaupt

Adam Weishaupt was founder of "Ordo Illuminati Bavarensis", or the Bavarian Illuminati. He was not the first or only Illuminati, which simply means "enlightened" there are many branches which are found within the mystery schools and secret societies. It's often confused and limited to Adam Weishaupt and the Bavarian Illuminati

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Adam Weishaupt was born in 1748. Adam means "the first man", "Weis" means "to know" and "haupt" means "leader", which makes Adam Weishaupts name mean "the first man to lead those who know".

Johann Georg Weishaupt, was Jesuit and Adam Weishaupt's father, was a professor of law at the Jesuit controled University of Ingolstadt. Johann Adam Freiherr von Ickstatt, also a Jesuit, was a godfather to Adam Weishaupt after his father died when he was still young. Johann Adam Freiherr von Ickstatt was a German educator and director of the Jesuit controled University of Ingolstadt. Jesuit taught and reared, Adam Weishaupt graduated from the Universty of Ingolstadt in 1768, and was made a tutor and catechist. In 1772 he was also made a professor of Cannon Law at Universty of Ingolstadt a position held exlusely by Jesuits at that time.

He was initiated as a Freemason in 1774 in either Hannover or Munich, but found that no one in his order truly understood the occult significance of the cermonies.

On the first of May 1776 he found an organisation first known as "The Order of Perfectibilists (Perfektibilisten)" but became famous as the "Ordo Illuminati Bavarensis", or the Bavarian Illuminati.

"The Hierarchy in the Illuminati assumed code names, a practice continued to this day by the Hierarchy of Freemasonry. Its purpose is to protect identities in what is a dangerous enterprise. Weishaupt's code name was Spartacus." - Scarlet and the Beast by John Daniel

In Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea´s famous trilogy Illuminatus!  it is suggested that Weishaupt traveled to America and assumed the role of George Washington.

Others claim that Weishaupt died in obscurity in 1830.