Narayana Verlag – the 40th anniversary 2021
40 years: From the founding on 1 February 1981 to the present day
The beginnings – a friendship with a shared vision
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The two founders of Narayana Verlag, Dr Herbert Sigwart and Dr Ulrich Welte, met while studying medicine in the 1970s. Both were looking for alternatives to conventional medicine, which repeatedly reached its limits, especially with chronic illnesses. Early on they came across homeopathy, which they initially learned a great deal about through self-study.
Impressive clinical experience with Max Otto Bruker
An important station was the Lahnhöhe Clinic, where the renowned physician and pioneer of naturopathy and wholefood/raw-vegan nutrition, Max Otto Bruker, took over medical leadership in 1977 and was still looking for ward doctors. Patients from all over Germany often came, having exhausted other treatments, some seriously ill, and placed their last hopes here. Here the two doctors were able to gain valuable experience with over 50 different natural healing methods and observe remarkable recovery successes from these therapies combined with a raw-vegan wholefood diet. They grew particularly fond of homeopathy, which often made especially profound recoveries possible, for example in severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, asthma or migraine.
Lahnhöhe Clinic and the pioneer of raw-vegan nutrition Max Otto Bruker
The spirit of the times for better medicine: The Berlin Health Days 1980
At various events the two doctors spoke about their healing successes, including at the Berlin Health Days 1980 in front of over 1,200 medical students. The slide presentations with before-and-after pictures and the treatment of patients with the most severe pathologies convinced many of the initially sceptical students, who then wanted to gain practical experience at the Lahnstein Clinic and showed great interest in homeopathy literature. This was the birth of the publishing house, which was officially founded on 1 February 1981.
Herbert Sigwart gives a lecture to a large audience
First publications of important homeopathic works
At first, already-published titles on homeopathy were offered, including English titles from India affordable for students (a German Kent repertory cost 1,200 DM at that time, an English edition 30 DM – link to the first book list). In response to repeated demand, the first in-house homeopathy book from Narayana Verlag was published in 1984 – the original edition of Samuel Hahnemann's foundational work – the Organon – at an affordable price.
In 1983 the two doctors decided to settle and founded their joint practice in the beautiful Kandern in the southern Black Forest. Known from the Lahnstein Clinic, there was lively interest in the practice from the start. In 1984 a health food shop was opened in the same building. In the following years the medical work was particularly emphasised and the publishing house fell into a 'Sleeping Beauty' slumber.
The publishing house in Kandern then and now
Refining the selection of homeopathic remedies through an astonishing discovery
Time and again the colour method provided unexpected ideas for remedies in the practice. The founder of the method, the Cologne doctor Hugbald V. Müller, asked Ulrich Welte to have his own colour chart, which he had designed for determining a person's favourite colour, printed. This proved easier said than done. Established publishers struggled with printing the more than 30 pure colours of this specialised instrument. In the end Herbert Sigwart and Ulrich Welte had no choice but to take it into their own hands and publish it themselves. Narayana Verlag was revived. In 2003 Ulrich Welte's work Colours in Homeopathy was published for the first time; a year later Handwriting and Homeopathy.
Colours in Homeopathy is being reissued in elaborate Pantone printing
Publishing house and medical practice united under one roof
As early as 1999 the homeopathic physician Markus Kuntosch joined the practice team to strengthen it. In 2006 Dr Katrin Sigwart followed. The time had now come to pass on the extensive experience gathered over the years with the many different homeopathic approaches. Publications at Narayana Verlag picked up speed; by 2007 there were already seven new titles, including works by the renowned authors Jan Scholten, Farokh Master and Louis Klein. In the following years 40–50 new titles were published annually. The range of German, English and French titles from other publishers also grew, soon numbering over 6,000 titles.
Homeopathy titles published by Narayana Verlag
Seminars and their own homeopathy journal
In 2007 Narayana Verlag organised the first homeopathy seminar with Massimo Mangialavori, which delighted 300 participants and made the seminar programme a permanent feature. In 2009 the publisher also took part in an Ayurveda congress, which led to the traditional Indian healing art increasingly becoming part of the publisher's range. In October 2009 the magazine Spektrum der Homöopathie was published for the first time. 10,000 copies were initially distributed free of charge. The magazine generated an enormous response; renowned homeopaths called it "the best homeopathy journal worldwide". After the first issue the journal already had over 1,000 subscribers. The English edition appeared a year later.
Homeopathy congress "Mental Health" in Bad Krozingen 2013 with over 500 participants from around the world
Katrin Sigwart thanks Jan Scholten in 2008 for his excellent lecture in Kandern
Narayana Verlag continues to grow
In 2009 the well-known naturopath Rosina Sonnenschmidt contacted the publisher and wanted to publish further titles with them. This became an unexpected success story with over 30 titles; particular acclaim went to the 12-volume series Organ-Conflict-Healing, with over 100,000 individual copies sold. Two years later another milestone appeared: the first hobby gardener's guide for plants. Christiane Maute's bestseller Homeopathy for Plants is now in its 14th edition and has already been translated into 10 languages. In what is probably a world-unique concentration of top-class authors, works by Jan Scholten, Rajan Sankaran, Massimo Mangialavori, Louis Klein, Michal Yakir, Armin Seideneder, Robin Murphy, Catherine Coulter and many others have been published. The publisher also issues the well-known classics, including works by Hahnemann, Boenninghausen, Hering, Boericke, Kent, Allen and Burnett, at affordable prices and in good quality.
Unimedica is born: an imprint and a new product world
For publishing titles in the field of healthy nutrition and other natural therapies the imprint "Unimedica" was created. Many foundational works by internationally known pioneers have appeared here:
- Pioneers of vegan nutrition such as top athletes Brendan Brazier Vegan in Top Form and Rich Roll Finding Ultra, and the renowned doctors Joel Fuhrman Eat to Live, Michael Greger How Not to Die with over 100,000 copies sold and Neal D. Barnard Revolutionary Method Against Diabetes
- perhaps the best-known ayurvedic physician and author worldwide, Vasant Lad, with his Ayurveda textbooks and the gem The Ayurveda Cookbook
- the bestselling author of the liver and gallbladder cleanse, Andreas Moritz
- timeless titles such as Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon or GAPS by Campbell McBride
- groundbreaking psychology works such as Essentialism by Greg McKeown, The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor and the classics by Gabor Maté
To date the publisher has released over 700 of its own book titles. To make some of the sometimes exotic ingredients from the publications accessible, the publisher also began offering superfoods, dietary supplements and speciality foods. Because of the great demand and to guarantee consistent quality, the publisher began producing products in-house – again under the brand name "Unimedica". This developed into another unexpected success story with now almost 200 own products – from high-quality supplements such as OPC, Coenzyme Q10 and MSM, vitamin preparations from A–E, minerals such as magnesium and zinc, herbal preparations and superfoods, to teas and spices, natural cosmetics and high-quality cooking oils.
The online offering now also includes a complete natural foods range with organic-quality foods such as long-life fruit and vegetables, canned fish and sausages, bread and spreads, baking ingredients, cereals and pulses, right through to environmentally friendly washing and cleaning products.
Today Narayana Verlag has over 100 employees who are enthusiastically developing the various areas further. The many positive feedbacks from our customers strengthen our enthusiasm to continue this rewarding work – following the credo: "Take your health into your own hands".
