Heilpraktiker, or non-medical healing practitioner, is recognized as an
alternative and complementary health care profession by German law. rights in
Frankfurt that were otherwise restricted to academic physicians, which were withdrawn in 1499 after protests of doctors and pharmacists, and the death of a patient. He then worked in
Nuremberg from 1500 to around 1503. After the First World War, the
heilpraktiker began to organise. They formed an association "Verband der Heilkundigen Deutschlands" in
Essen in 1920, which was renamed "Großverband der Heilpraktiker Deutschlands" (Great Association of the healing Practitioners of Germany" in 1928. By 1931, 22 organisations of
heilpraktiker had been established. In 1933, the
Nazi Reichsministerium des Innern appointed the
heilpraktiker Ernst Heinrich as commissioner of the profession. Per the
Gleichschaltung, all associations were combined in a central
Heilpraktikerbund Deutschland, with enforced rules for membership and education. The organisation published the magazine
Der Heilpraktiker first in August 1933. Alternative medicine researcher
Edzard Ernst have written about the links between
heilpraktiker and Nazism, and described it as "a relic from the Nazis that endangers public health" in a series of blog posts, also arguing against extension of the practice.
Heilpraktiker have been identified as involved with
fake cancer cures. A law regarding the profession of
heilpraktiker was issued on 18 February 1939, named "Erste Durchführungsverordnung zum Gesetz über die berufsmäßige Ausübung der Heilkunde ohne Bestallung" (First regulation implementing the law on the professional practice of medicine without bestowal), or short:
Heilpraktikergesetz. They are organised in several associations which represent the interests of the profession and offer education and services. Several associations run schools. • Allgemeiner Deutscher Heilpraktikerverband (ADHV) • Arbeitsgemeinschaft Anthroposophischer Heilpraktiker-Berufsverband (AGAHP) • Berufsverband Deutsche Naturheilkunde (BDN) • Bund Deutscher Heilpraktiker (BDH) • Bund Deutscher Heilpraktiker und Naturheilkundiger (BDHN) • Fachverband Deutscher Heilpraktiker (FDH) • Freie Heilpraktiker (FH) • Freier Verband Deutscher Heilpraktiker (FVDH) • Union Deutscher Heilpraktiker (UDH) • Verband Deutscher Heilpraktiker (VDH) • Verband Heilpraktiker Deutschland (VHD) • Verband Unabhängiger Heilpraktiker (VUH) • Vereinigung Christlicher Heilpraktiker (VCHP) They collaborate in the organisation
Die Deutschen Heilpraktikerverbände (The German
Heilpraktiker Associations). Beginning in 2011, five associations have collaborated in the umbrella organisation
Dachverband Deutscher Heilpraktikerverbände (DDH). The central organisation has published a magazine
Volksheilkunde. == Education ==