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Otto Buchinger (born 16 February 1878 in Darmstadt; died 16 April 1966 in Überlingen)
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Dr. Otto Buchinger
The turning point - the pioneer of therapeutic fasting
Otto Buchinger was invalided out of the navy in 1918 and became a lecturer at the Kolonial Schule ("Colonial School") in Witzenhausen an der Werra.
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Dr. Otto Buchinger made medical history as the founder of therapeutic fasting. His fasting therapy has been an important, recognised pillar of naturopathy for almost 90 years. Hundreds of thousands of people have alleviated health complaints, prevented illnesses and experienced a new feeling of well-being through therapeutic fasting. Otto Buchinger is credited with having carried out empirical studies and systematic research into ancient knowledge of the medical effect of fasting. He succeeded in combining the medical, physical, social and spiritual aspects of fasting to form a completely new holistic method of fasting.
The beginnings
Otto Buchinger was born in Darmstadt in 1878 as the son of a civil servant from Hesse. After one term studying law, he changed to the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Gießen in 1897. He was awarded his doctorate in Munich
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in 1902. He soon resigned from his first position as a general practitioner and instead realised his childhood dream: Otto Buchinger became a naval doctor, a job which took him all over the world. From contact with philosophies and ways of thinking of other cultures, he drew ideas which stimulated his work.
During this time he also became increasingly open to new philosophies of life which combine a natural way of living with healthy nutrition and lots of exercise. He disapproved of tobacco and above all excessive consumption of alcohol which was widespread among soldiers. Despite or rather because of his military service, he became a pacifist. The revolutionary and pacifist Hans Paasche was one of his closest friends. In 1917, Otto Buchinger fell ill with chronic tonsillitis, which caused an infected rheumatism of the joints and greatly restricted his mobility. As antibiotics were unknown at that time, there was no possibility of treatment.
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