He is presented in three manifestos that were published early in the 17th century. These were:
- Fama Fraternitatis (published 1614 in Kassel, Germany) This manifesto introduced the founder, "Frater C.R.C."
- Confessio Fraternitatis (published 1615 in Kassel, Germany)
- The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz (published 1616 in Strasbourg, Germany).
Under his direction a Temple, called Sanctus Spiritus, or "The House of the Holy Spirit", was built for the members to return to and meet each year. In his tomb, discovered 120 years later by a Brother of the Order, it is described that his body was in a perfect state of preservation – as Rosenkreuz had earlier predicted — in a heptagonal chamber erected by himself as a "compendium of the universe". Inside the tomb were illustrations on the ceiling and the floor representing the heavens and terrestrial worlds, with the seven walls containing various books and instruments belonging to the order. It is described that on the sarcophagus in the center of the tomb of Christian Rosenkreutz was an altar upon which was written the words "Jesus mihi omnia, nequaquam vacuum, libertas evangelii, dei intacta gloria, legis jugum" ("Jesus is everything to me, by no means empty, the freedom of the gospel, the untouched glory of God, the yoke of the law"). These words appear to testify to the builder's Christian character, yet have been interpreted by some to bear further cosmological significance. Rosenkreuz's crypt, according to the description presented in the legend, is located in the interior of the Earth, recalling the alchemical motto V.I.T.R.I.O.L.: Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem ("Visit the interior of the Earth; by rectification thou shalt find the hidden stone").
Some occultists including Rudolf Steiner, Max Heindel6 and (much later) Guy Ballard, have stated that Rosenkreuz later reappeared as the Count of St. Germain, a courtier, adventurer and alchemist who reportedly died on 27 February 1784. Steiner once identified one of Rembrandt's paintings "A Man in Armour" as a portrait of Christian Rosenkreuzcitation needed, in an apparent 17th-century manifestation. Others believe Rosenkreuz to be a pseudonym for a more famous historical figure, usually Francis Bacon.