Alexander Horn

see also Alexander Horn (disambiguation)

Alexander Horn (1762–1820) was a Scottish Benedictine monk who became a British secret agent and diplomat. His work led to the birth of the conspiracy theory of the illuminati.

Horn was born in Oyne, Aberdeenshire. In 1772 he was admitted to the Catholic seminary in Regensburg, perpetual seat of the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire. He took the religious name Maurus and was ordained around 1785. By 1790 he was an esteemed monastic librarian while at the same time working as the Regensburg agent for the British ambassador in Munich. He cultivated close ties with the Thurn and Taxis family and other influential people in the region and, despite being a monk, his social life led to him being described as a "wild young fellow".

Horn wrote anonymously condeming France's activities in undermining the Holy Roman Empire. He supplied the material that formed the core of John Robison's 1797 allegation of an international conspiracy of freemasons, illuminati, and Jacobins.

In 1799 he travelled to England, meeting with members of William Pitt's government including Earl Spencer. He subsequently used his bibliographical expertise to acquire rare books and manuscripts for Spencer's library.