Anniversary: Narayana Verlag Celebrates 45 Years of Existence

2026: 45 Years of Naturopathy - from its founding on February 1, 1981, to today

Thank you for 45 years of trust!

"Take your health into your own hands" – this credo has accompanied Narayana Verlag for 45 years now. What began in 1981 as the initiative of two doctors has developed over the decades into a multifaceted company. In addition to naturopathic literature, Narayana Verlag now also offers a wide range of high-quality dietary supplements, superfoods, and natural cosmetic products under the brand "Unimedica". And we are far from finished: plans for the future include the relocation of the publishing house to Auggen and a new online shop. None of this would be possible without you – the more than 3 million satisfied customers of Narayana Verlag. Through your loyalty and feedback, you contribute significantly to the fact that we can continue our work as an owner-managed and traditionally independent publisher with passion and commitment.

The History of Narayana Verlag at a Glance

The Beginnings - a friendship with a shared vision

It all began during medical studies: when Dr. Herbert Sigwart and Dr. Ulrich Welte met for the first time in the 1970s, they had no idea that they would found a publishing house together just a few years later. What united the two students was the observation that conventional medicine often reached its limits, especially with chronic diseases. In their search for alternative approaches, they discovered homeopathy and naturopathy early on.

The beginnings of a vision: Dr. Herbert Sigwart and Dr. Ulrich Welte in the 1970s.

Valuable practical experience with Dr. Max Otto Bruker

After their studies, the friends went to the Lahnhöhe Clinic. There, Dr. Max Otto Bruker, a renowned doctor and pioneer of naturopathy and whole-food nutrition, had taken over the medical management in 1977 and was looking for ward doctors. The experiences that Sigwart and Welte gained at the Lahnhöhe Clinic were impressive: often, patients from all over Germany who had exhausted all medical options and were sometimes seriously ill were admitted, and many had already given up hope of recovery. During this time, the two doctors learned over 50 different natural healing methods and were able to observe firsthand the remarkable treatment successes achieved in the clinic through the therapies as well as a raw vegan whole-food diet.

Klinik Lahnhöhe and the pioneer of raw vegan nutrition Dr. Max Otto Bruker.

Impulses for founding the publisher: The Berlin Health Days 1980

The two doctors also shared their enthusiasm for naturopathic forms of therapy at events. For example, they gave slide lectures to more than 1,200 medical students at the Berlin Health Days in 1980. Using impressive before-and-after photos, they documented the treatment of patients with often the most severe clinical pictures and were thus able to convince many of the initially skeptical students. The interest in naturopathic specialist literature sparked by the lectures finally marked the birth of Narayana Verlag, which was officially founded on February 1, 1981. The first independent work published by Narayana Verlag in 1984 was the original edition of Samuel Hahnemann's fundamental work Organon of the Art of Healing.

Dr. Herbert Sigwart giving a lecture to a large audience.

Group practice and natural food store in the Black Forest

In 1983, Sigwart and Welte decided to go into private practice and founded a group practice in the idyllic Kandern in the Southern Black Forest. A year later, a natural food store was opened in the same building. In the following years, due to high demand, the focus was primarily on medical activity – Narayana Verlag fell into a temporary "Sleeping Beauty" slumber. This changed when the doctor Markus Kuntosch joined the practice in 1999 and new capacities became available. In 2006, Herbert Sigwart's sister, the physician Dr. Katrin Sigwart, also joined the publishing house.

Medical activity was initially the main focus after the group practice was opened.

Over 700 published book titles

After the expansion of the publishing management by Dr. Katrin Sigwart, the publishing activity picked up speed significantly. In 2007 alone, seven new titles appeared, including works by renowned authors such as Jan Scholten, Farokh Master, and Louis Klein. With 40 to 50 new releases every year, the program grew steadily – today it comprises over 700 of its own titles on naturopathy, healthy nutrition, sports, and psychology. The range is supplemented by a wide assortment of German, English, and French language books from other publishers.