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    • On average, the human body consists of 67% water. It is therefore not surprising that water also plays a decisive role in terms of health.

      The beneficial warmth of moor, fango and mud was discovered early on. Mud baths were documented as a natural remedy as early as the 14th century.

      The climate has long had a major influence on well-being. Those seeking relaxation are most likely to find it in an environment with a balanced temperature and constant humidity.

      Kneipp cures are probably among the best-known water treatments. However, Kneipp therapy also includes nutrition, herbs, exercise and inner balance in addition to the water pillar.
  • Your way to a cure

MICHAEL RÖTHER

The Kneipp whisperer from Lake Constance

Anyone who thinks that Kneipp only has something to do with water, is old-fashioned and dusty, is very much mistaken. Because a modern world of Kneipp's health teachings opens up when Michael Röther talks about his mission: "Kneipp is an absolutely contemporary holistic natural healing method, which is more justified today than it was 100 or 150 years ago. Because people today are sicker, more stressed and less resilient. Kneipp intervenes wonderfully here. It is a simple natural healing method that is suitable for everyday use and that anyone can carry out independently."

The owner of the RÖTHER Health Center in Überlingen still practices every Monday in his own business and can therefore pass on his enthusiasm for Kneipp to his guests during treatments. He also lives the Kneipp philosophy in his private life: a cold shower in the morning is a must on every day.

When talking to the trained masseur and Kneipp bath attendant, you can sense that the people who come to his "refuge" are particularly important to him. That this is not just an empty phrase is shown by the company's successful history of over 70 years with many regular guests, some of whom come several times a year. In 1992, Michael Röther took over his parents' Kneipp health resort and, together with his wife Christine, developed it into the health center it is today. She also comes into personal contact with guests on morning walks or the weekly hike. This creates trust, binds people and means appreciation. With 40 employees, RÖTHER is one of the leading health companies on Lake Constance. It is important "that you have to create a feel-good factor" in order to reach people. His house today has little to do with a classic therapy facility or even a clinic atmosphere. It exudes the flair of a health resort with hotel rooms, modern apartments and holiday homes.

Feel-good atmosphere in the RÖTHER health centre

Kneipp-Bademeister Reinhard Röther, Michaels Vater
© Paul Meyer
© Paul Meyer
If you ask the managing director about his secret of success, he names three essential factors: the integration of conventional medicine and naturopathy in complementary medicine, therapy and treatment concepts tailored to the individual guests and patients, and putting people at the center of everything we do.
This is exactly what inspires the guests: to be seen and perceived as a person with all their needs. "We also treat everyone equally. We have patients from all walks of life. As soon as someone comes into the house and is wearing a white bathrobe, they are the same as everyone else. And people appreciate that, that they can be who they are here," Röther continues. Often the guests do not even know that Kneipp is more than just water and are positively surprised by Kneipp's holistic philosophy.
“We don’t want
to persuade anyone, we just want to
convince them.”
Michael Röther

The Röthers also have rules that not every guest immediately likes: cell phone-free zones and WiFi is switched off after 10 p.m. Michael Röther calls this "cell phone fasting", or in modern German, digital detox. It is important that people learn to give up habits they have grown fond of. This is the only way to enable profound regeneration during the stay. The team also explains to guests why giving up is also important for their own well-being. This also includes picking up a good book every now and then and not constantly "being on the air". "We don't want to persuade anyone, we just want to convince them," says Michael Röther, emphasising the philosophy of his establishment. This also means that in addition to health trainers and therapists, the general practitioner Dr. Gregor Dietze with additional qualifications in naturopathy and spa medicine is also working. At the beginning of the stay, he takes time to answer questions from guests and patients and puts together an individual treatment programme based on a detailed anamnesis. The entire spectrum of fasting and nutrition, medical treatment and therapy is included.

The most important pillar in Kneipp's health teachings is the order of life: "This is the basis of all the other pillars," emphasises Kneipp bath attendant Röther. At the same time, he enthusiastically explains how the five pillars according to Kneipp - order of life, water treatments, nutrition, medicinal plants and exercise - are interlinked: "And the whole thing then creates the wonderful holistic concept in which you cannot pick out anything in particular because everything is interlinked." This is what defines the retreat and is the common thread running through all the offers: the holistic health teachings according to Kneipp. Michael Röther always conveys that "Kneipp can be easily integrated into everyday life, that everyone can do something good for themselves, make lasting positive changes to their life and improve their quality of life."

© Paul Meyer
© Paul Meyer
© Paul Meyer
© Paul Meyer

For the future, Röther believes it is important that people become more involved with Kneipp's natural healing method, use it for themselves and integrate it into their everyday lives in order to naturally improve their health and quality of life. As a volunteer certifier for the Kneipp Association in Bad Wörishofen, the Kneipp bathing attendant travels a lot around Germany. Here, he hopes that businesses and Kneipp spas will embody Kneipp's teachings in a more modern way and that companies will reduce the investment backlog. "Unfortunately, many companies have missed the opportunity to modernize their companies," says Röther. "The location is also very important. The Kneipp spa or Kneipp health resort in question must also work on its external image. Often little or nothing happens here and people have let things run their course and have been overtaken to some extent by other natural healing methods, such as Ayurveda, for example."

But he also sees that houses and places that deal with Kneipp in a contemporary way are successful and receive approval, "because people are also returning to natural and simple things, reducing things to the essentials."

"And I can truly
say, we reach
everyone here."
Michael Röther

In addition, people are willing to spend money on a good service. It is important to Röther that the guest feels that the product is worth its price and that the service in return is of high quality. If the guest or patient feels that they are being taken seriously, they are happy to invest in their health. In order to make Kneipp better known, Röther also hopes that politicians, but above all the Ministry of Health, will create incentives for people to do more for their own care. When asked whether he is offering something special in the Kneipp anniversary year of 2021, Röther emphasizes: "We always make Kneipp something special."

Text: Dr. Nicolaus Prinz

“We always make
Kneipp
something
special.”
Michael Röther

Contact:

RÖTHER Gesundheitszentrum
Uhlandstraße 2
D-88662 Überlingen

Phone: +49 (0)7551 92240
Fax: +49 (0)7551/9224-99
E-Mail: info@roether.de

ASSOCIATION

Spas and health resorts in Baden-Württemberg

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