Herman Publisher of Esotericism, Alternative Medicine, and Spirituality
Based in Freiburg im Breisgau (until 2003)

🏛️ Overview:

The Hermann Bauer Verlag was a major German publishing house founded in 1937 by Hermann Bauer. Based in Freiburg im Breisgau, the company gained prominence in the post-WWII decades for publishing esoteric, spiritual, and holistic literature, as well as periodicals focused on alternative worldviews.

It became one of the most influential esoteric publishers in the German-speaking world, especially during the New Age wave of the 1970s to 1990s.

📖 Core Publications and Program:

• Esotera Magazine (1970–2001):

  • One of the most widely read German-language esoteric magazines

  • Topics included parapsychology, astrology, near-death experiences, alternative medicine, reincarnation, and spiritual healing

  • Reached print runs of 70,000 copies in the 1980s and was sold at newsstands across Germany

  • Editorial direction under Gert Geisler (from 1973) combined speculative content with research-oriented features

• Book Publishing Program:

  • Topics: Yoga, Ayurveda, astrology, dowsing, numerology, chakra healing, tarot, herbal medicine, spiritual development

  • Published works by well-known figures such as:

    • Swami Sivananda, Swami Vivekananda (Yoga & Vedanta)

    • Wolf-Dieter Storl (ethnobotany and healing plants)

    • Horst E. Miers (Lexikon des Geheimwissens)

  • Numerous paperback series targeting the growing spiritual and health-conscious audience

🎧 Additional Activities:

• Operated the PranaHaus mail-order business for esoteric books, wellness products, incense, crystals, etc.

• Produced music and video media in the spiritual genre (e.g. meditation tapes, healing sounds, guided relaxation)

📉 Decline and Insolvency:

• In 1999, the publishing house was sold by the founding family (Kirner) to Paul J. Kohtes, a PR entrepreneur

• Attempted restructuring failed; the company filed for insolvency in 2001 and was dissolved by 2003

• The Esotera magazine was briefly continued by a Berlin-based publisher but eventually discontinued

• The PranaHaus brand survived and still operates today as an independent online store for spiritual and wellness products

🌟 Significance and Legacy:

• The Hermann Bauer Verlag played a key role in shaping postwar German esotericism and New Age culture

• Its publications contributed to the popularization of:

  • Eastern spirituality, alternative healing, paranormal phenomena, and consciousness research

• The Esotera magazine was seen both as a spiritual lifestyle publication and a platform for fringe science and metaphysical inquiry

• Even after its closure, many of its authors, themes, and publications remain influential in spiritual circles

✅ Conclusion:

The Hermann Bauer Verlag was not just a publishing house, but a cultural hub for esoteric and alternative thought in the German-speaking world. Though it ceased operations in the early 2000s, its influence endures in books, archives, and successor platforms like PranaHaus. It remains a point of reference in the history of Western esotericism and spiritual publishing.

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