Kneippärztebund

The Kneippärztebund (officially since 2002: Ärztegesellschaft für Präventionsmedizin und klassische Naturheilverfahren, Kneippärztebund e.V.) is a German medical association and specialist society dedicated to research, teaching and quality assurance in traditional European naturopathy. It is named after Sebastian Kneipp and is headquartered in Bad Wörishofen in the Allgäu region of Bavaria, the town where Kneipp lived and worked from 1855. It is not to be confused with the Kneipp-Bund, an umbrella organisation for the promotion of Kneipp therapy. The association traces its origins to the late 19th century, when Sebastian Kneipp sought to professionalise his healing methods and wanted physicians to take up and research his approach. In 1884 Kneipp and the surgeon Bernhuber from Türkheim held the first joint consultations; in 1889 the physician Kleinschrod from Schlingen became the first spa doctor. Kneipp and his close collaborator, the physician Alfred Baumgarten, initiated the Internationaler Kneippscher Ärzteverein, which was founded on 2 February 1894 in Kneipp's presence, with Kneipp taking honorary chairmanship. The founding committee also included physicians from Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, the Netherlands, England and Poland. Today the Kneippärztebund is a certified provider of medical further and continuing education in naturopathy, nutritional medicine, forest medicine and basic psychosomatic care. Its courses are held on a green campus in Bad Wörishofen, about 70 km west of Munich and easily reachable year-round via the A 96 motorway. According to its website, up to 1,000 participants take part each year in around 50 events taught by more than 70 lecturers, and participants receive continuing education points for all courses. The programme includes the additional qualification in naturopathy (theory modules 1–4, 80 hours, plus case seminars), the additional qualification in nutritional medicine (theory modules 1–5, 120 hours, plus case seminars), nutrition and sport, basic psychosomatic care, orthopaedics for daily practice, an intensive course in Kneipp medicine, and training as a forest health trainer or forest therapist. The association has long been active in academic teaching. As early as 1923 the medical faculty of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) organised student excursions to Bad Wörishofen. Since 2003, following a change to the German licensing regulations for physicians, Kneipp complex treatment has been taught as a compulsory subject in medical studies alongside physical medicine and rehabilitation. In 1972, in cooperation with the Institute for Medical Balneology and Climatology at LMU Munich, a research institute was founded. In 2001, with the support of the Kneippärztebund, the European Health Centre for Classical Naturopathy was established. In 2009 a Kneipp endowed professorship was set up at Charité in Berlin. In 2021, together with LMU, the association founded the Competence Centre for Forest Medicine and Nature Therapy, which develops quality standards for the training of forest health trainers and forest therapists. With a history of more than 120 years, the Kneippärztebund is one of the oldest and most tradition-rich medical societies in Europe devoted to research and teaching in classical naturopathy. Its content focuses on classical, evidence-based naturopathy, with interfaces to integrative medicine, spa medicine, physical therapy, nutrition and phytotherapy.

The Kneippärztebund traces its origins to the late 19th century, when Sebastian Kneipp sought to professionalise his healing methods. Kneipp wished for his method to be taken up and researched by physicians. In 1884, Kneipp and the surgeon Bernhuber from Türkheim held the first joint consultations; in 1889 the physician Kleinschrod from Schlingen became the first spa doctor. Kneipp himself and a close collaborator, the physician Alfred Baumgarten, initiated the Internationaler Kneippscher Ärzteverein. The founding took place on 2 February 1894 in the presence of Sebastian Kneipp, who assumed honorary chairmanship. The founding committee also included physicians from Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, the Netherlands, England and Poland. The first statutes stated the goals: to strive for a firm association of physicians of the Kneipp direction, to give physicians the opportunity to publish and discuss their experiences through the creation of an association organ, and to form the scientific representation of the Kneipp healing method. The association developed rapidly. Alfred Baumgarten became medical director of the Kneippianum and subsequently published the first scientific investigations into the effects of hydrotherapy. Early records show that about 150 physicians per year attended Kneipp's consultations for shorter or longer periods to gain an impression or to further their education, including international participants. By the First World War, numerous Kneipp spa establishments under medical direction had arisen not only in Germany but also abroad. In 1933 the Kneipp-Ärztebund lost its independence and became part of the national Volksgesundheitsbund. In 1948 it was re-founded under Paul Baumgarten, the son of the first chairman. In 1970 the then chairman of the Kneippärztebund, Josef Kaiser, summarised the principles of Kneipp's complex therapy into the so-called five pillars: hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, nutritional therapy, phytotherapy and order therapy. In the following decades the Kneippärztebund developed into an established provider of medical further education. In 1972, in cooperation with the Institute for Medical Balneology and Climatology of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, a research institute was founded. In 2001, with the support of the Kneippärztebund, the European Health Centre for Classical Naturopathy was founded. In 2002 the association programmatically changed its name to Ärztegesellschaft für Präventionsmedizin und klassische Naturheilverfahren, Kneippärztebund e.V. Eberhard Volger became scientific director. In 2009 a Kneipp endowed professorship was established at Charité. In 2021, together with LMU, the Competence Centre for Forest Medicine and Nature Therapy was founded, which sets impulses for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary scientific exchange on forest medicine and develops quality standards for the further and continuing education of forest health trainers and forest therapists. The Kneippärztebund has also long promoted teaching within medical studies. As early as 1923 the medical faculty of LMU Munich conducted student excursions to Bad Wörishofen. Since 2003, following a change to the licensing regulations, Kneipp complex treatment has been taught as a compulsory subject in medical studies together with physical medicine and rehabilitation. With an age of over 120 years, the Kneippärztebund is one of the oldest and most tradition-rich medical societies in Europe concerned with research and teaching in classical naturopathy.

• 2021

  Together with LMU, the Competence Centre for Forest Medicine and Nature Therapy is founded.

• 2009

  A Kneipp endowed professorship is established at Charité.

• 2003

  Following a change to the licensing regulations, Kneipp complex treatment is taught as a compulsory subject in medical studies together with physical medicine and rehabilitation.

• 2002

  The association changes its name to Ärztegesellschaft für Präventionsmedizin und klassische Naturheilverfahren, Kneippärztebund e.V. Eberhard Volger becomes scientific director.

• 2001

  With the support of the Kneippärztebund, the European Health Centre for Classical Naturopathy is founded.

• 1972

  A research institute is founded in cooperation with the Institute for Medical Balneology and Climatology of LMU Munich.

• 1970

  Chairman Josef Kaiser summarises the principles of Kneipp's complex therapy into the five pillars: hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, nutritional therapy, phytotherapy and order therapy.

• 1948

  Re-founding under Paul Baumgarten, son of the first chairman.

• 1933

  The Kneipp-Ärztebund loses its independence and becomes part of the national Volksgesundheitsbund.

• 1923

  The medical faculty of LMU Munich conducts student excursions to Bad Wörishofen.

• 1894

  Founding of the Internationaler Kneippscher Ärzteverein on 2 February in the presence of Sebastian Kneipp, who assumes honorary chairmanship.

• 1889

  The physician Kleinschrod from Schlingen becomes the first spa doctor.

• 1884

  Sebastian Kneipp and the surgeon Bernhuber from Türkheim hold the first joint consultations.

Certified provider of nationally recognised medical further and continuing education in naturopathy, nutritional medicine, forest medicine and basic psychosomatic care, with a focus on classical, evidence-based naturopathy.

• Additional qualification in naturopathy

  Theory modules 1–4, 80 hours, plus case seminars.

• Additional qualification in nutritional medicine

  Theory modules 1–5, 120 hours, plus case seminars.

• Basic psychosomatic care

  Course in basic psychosomatic care.

• Orthopaedics for daily practice

  Course in orthopaedics for daily practice.

• Intensive course in Kneipp medicine

  Intensive course in Kneipp medicine.

• Forest health trainer / forest therapist

  Training as forest health trainer or forest therapist.

1. 1Bundesweit anerkannte Weiterbildungen beim Kneippärztebund | Kneippärztebund e.V.kneippaerztebund.de
2. 2Kneippärztebund – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Kneippärztebund – Wikidatawikidata.org