Home » » Natural Health » The Kneipp Cure

The Kneipp Cure

© Traute Klein, biogardener

Germans still practice the healing powers which a priest, Sebastian Kneipp, taught his poor parishioners 150 years ago.

Big Birthday Bash

Every May 17, the German spa city of Bad Wörishofen honors its most beloved parish priest, Sebastian Kneipp (May 17, 1821 - June 17, 1897). He developed a system of natural wellness which is followed by Germans all over the world.

Healing by Fluke

The summer had been unusually hot and humid. I have never been able to adjust to that type of climatic condition, and my system was not working normally. I was suffering from continuous swelling of the feet for the first time in my life. Wearing shoes would have been impossible, but fortunately I walk in thongs all summer long anyway. I had to get to the root of the problem and made an appointment with my family physician, but lo and behold, the day before I was to see him, the swelling disappeared. It took me a whole week to figure out what had caused this sudden recovery. On the day in question, I had been walking and working in a hayfield which was soaked by a heavy rain the night before. The thongs allowed my feet to be cooled by the refreshingly wet grass. I might as well have been barefoot. That was the cause of my sudden recovery.

Popular Practices

Yes, I remembered. In my childhood, my mother would let us walk barefoot on lawns wet with dew every chance we got. We would also wade in shallow pools and ponds, ankle-deep in water, sometimes even knee-deep. We called the practice "Kneippen," but I knew little of its origin. In 1968, I spent the summer studying at the University of Mannheim in Germany's hottest and most humid city. Many an afternoon would I cool my feet by walking barefoot on public lawns. I also noticed children wading in the pond at the castle in the middle of this Baroque city. Both practices are strictly verboten in Germany, but no one criticized me or the children. Everyone understood. From time to time, passers-by would ask me, if I was practicing "Kneippen." I realized then that the practices of my childhood were still alive among the German people.

Pastor Sebastian Kneipp

Sebastian Kneipp was a Bavarian priest devoted to the welfare of his parishioners. He had cured himself of tuberculosis when he was too poor to get medical help. He understood the plight of the people whom he served and became not only their spiritual advisor but taught them to take care of their health needs with a holistic system which is free to all, based on nature's miraculous healing properties.

The copyright of the article The Kneipp Cure in Natural Health is owned by Traute Klein, biogardener. Permission to republish The Kneipp Cure in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.