Dr. Hertzka was born in Bad Gastein, in the Salzburg region. His father, Dr. med. Josef Hertzka, was the spa and community physician of Bad Gastein. Gottfried Hertzka studied in Vienna and received his doctorate in medicine on 15 July 1938, almost simultaneously with the invasion of Austria by the German Wehrmacht — a traumatising experience for the young doctor. It was also during this period that he had his first encounters with the Latin texts relating to the natural history portion of Hildegard's writings. His interest in Hildegard was sparked during literary studies of Paracelsus, who had found his final resting place in Salzburg.
During his training as a military physician, Dr. Hertzka learned of the euthanasia practised by the National Socialists — the systematic mass murder of the mentally ill and disabled — which brought him into conflict with the authorities. His upright stance cost him nine months in a concentration camp. Having escaped this horror by the end of the war, Dr. Hertzka devoted himself definitively to the teachings of Hildegard von Bingen and dedicated the rest of his work to researching and applying her traditions.
Dr. Hertzka, who was already convinced at that time that spelt plays a central role in Hildegard's teachings, sought his permanent residence in the traditional spelt-growing regions of southern Germany, which he ultimately found in Constance. At Gebhardsplatz he opened a general medical practice. At last, Dr. Hertzka was able to put into practice the theoretical knowledge of Hildegard's teachings he had acquired up to that point. From 1955 onwards, he enlisted the help of a friendly Constance pharmacist who prepared the various Hildegard formulations for the patients of Dr. Hertzka's practice — most notably the famous parsley tonic made from wine, honey and parsley. It was during this period that the first contacts with the company JURA in Constance were established; as the only pharmaceutical business far and wide that had been producing products according to traditional recipes since 1925, this was really a logical fit. In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Hertzka was also a scientific associate at JURA from 1960 to 1965.
Experience with the Hildegard formulations soon accumulated, and from case reports and patient records, "So heilt Gott" ("Thus God Heals") was born in 1970 — the first instructional guide for applying Hildegard's traditions. Since then, this pioneering little book alone has sold 19 editions totalling almost a quarter of a million copies. Patients from all across Europe came in droves to Dr. Hertzka's practice at Gebhardsplatz. It was therefore inevitable that the demand for Hildegard products would exceed the production capacity of a pharmacy. The complicated manufacturing process for the duckweed elixir alone was a problem in itself, to say nothing of producing ointments on a larger scale.
For this reason, Dr. Hertzka entrusted JURA in 1984 with the production of his Hildegard formulations, thereby making them accessible to all interested pharmacies. Dr. Hertzka threw himself into spreading Hildegard's teachings with great enthusiasm. He saw in this the great opportunity to (re)unite tradition and spirituality. Against many obstacles, he championed herbalism, the formulations, and the people. The stronger the resistance became, the greater his commitment.
Out of this tension emerged numerous books through which Dr. Hertzka made the teachings of Hildegard von Bingen accessible to a wide audience: "So heilt Gott", "Wunder der Hildegard-Medizin", the "Küchengeheimnisse...", the "Edelsteinmedizin...", the "Handbuch der Hildegard-Medizin" and the "Große Hildegard-Apotheke". These books convey Hildegard's wisdom and are intended to serve as a guide towards a more conscious life. Discover also our range of products according to Hildegard's teachings — in the tradition of Dr. Hertzka and JURA since 1984.
