Bad Antogast was once en vogue as a spa/ its source had been used as early as in the 14 th century/
Today, Indian stress-releasing techniques are taught there
In Oppenau’s center, a road sign shows the way to Maisach and “Bad Antogast”. In today’s issue we would like to find out more about this “spa” and the house’s history by Horst Hoferer
Oppenau-Maisach The name Bad Antogast basically refers to only one house, a complex at the far end of the Maisach valley, situated about 5 km from Oppenau’s center. Owing to its spring with acidulous mineral water Bad Antogast counts among the spas of the Kniebis region and has contributed to the economic development of this small side valley. The oldest of the five springs is called Antonius spring and was discovered in 1250. In a gesture to express gratitude for this spring, a chapel was erected to honour St. Antonius, patron saint of infirmaries.
In 1338 someone with the name Benze von Antengast is mentioned in documents regulating the local feudal system – so he must have been the first proprietor of this spring. Reports on the spring itself have first appeared in 1591 in the “Tractat der Wildbeder” (book on thermal spas) by Dr Phrieß and in 1560 in the “Badenfahrt-Büchlein” (booklet on spas to visit) by Dr Pictonius. Phrieß describes it as a “spring of high recognition” and the spa literature of the 16 th century mentions the source as
“healing acidulous water with a renowned reputation that can be used internally as well as externally and for baths”. Around 1590 bishop John IV of Strasbourg personally took care of acidulous springs in general, but he especially promoted Antogast. Documents stored at the General State archives in
Karlsruhe show that the owners have often changed. On June 23, 1642, Adam Huber, the spa’s landlord at that time, sold the spring to Johann Huber for 700 guilders. In 1661, Johann Huber sold his “spa hostel” to Hans Georg Fischer at a price of 1900 guilders. In 1665, only four years later, the documents mention Hans Friedrich Heiner, owner of the Linde hotel in Oberkirch, who sold the spa to Mr and Mrs Michael Theyrer from Strasbourg for the sum of 2000 guilders. One year later Mr and
Mrs Christoffel Beyerlin of Oppenau acquire the spa with all its equipment for 1500 guilders. In 1761
Peter Huber from Maisach buys the spa from someone in Alsace whose name remains unknown.
From that time until the First World War the spa stayed in possession of Peter Huber and his descendants. In 1803 his son Anton Huber takes over the responsibility and extends the building. In
1845 Anton’s son, Georg Huber, takes command and leads Bad Antogast into its heyday that continues through the time his son Max owned the spa from 1886 until 1914. Bad Antogast then was en vogue as a recognized spa. Guests from the Netherlands, from France, England, Russia and the US were the large retinue of crowned heads to have their hot chocolate in Bad Antogast’s dining hall. On the occasion of his stay in Bad Peterstal where he had health treatments, the Russian tsar Alexander
II and his entourage stayed in Bad Antogast in 1871. In 1911 the Huber family celebrates the 150 th anniversary as proprietors of the hotel. But in 1914 Max Huber is forced to sell the place. He was the last landlord of Bad Antogast and died in 1944.
From 1914 to 1918 the hotel is in possession of a health insurance company from Mannheim. After that the hotel was owned by the federal insurance agency of the state of Baden who ran a hospital for people with lung diseases in Antogast. After the Second World War Antogast is turned into a camp for war refugees and accommodated those who fled after the workers’ protest in Eastern

Germany on June 17, 1953 and after the Hungarian uprising in 1956. So the effects of these events were even noticed in the far end of the Maisach valley. In 1964 the building was acquired by Dr
Herbert Kienle from Bad Wildungen and after initial renovations it looked like it might turn into a spa hotel again. Oppenau’s elders still remember having a cup of coffee there or attending dances. In
1969 the Antonius spring was officially recognized as a medicinal spring by the regional council and from then on Antogast had the right to wear “Bad” in its name. Everyone in Oppenau was very happy that Bad Antogast had risen from the ashes. Baden-Württemberg’s Ministry of Economic Affairs grants Bad Antogast the permit to call itself a state-certified medicinal spring on May 22 of the same year. Unfortunately in 1980s the decline set in. In 1990 Huber Fröhlich from Kassel bought the building and from 1991 until 1994 it was used as home for ethnic German immigrants from Russia.
1995 finally saw the last change of ownership: the place was acquired by the “Gesellschaft für inneres Wachstum” that later changed its name into “Die Kunst des Lebens” (The Art of Living).
Blue frame at the right hand side:
Two interpretations of the name Antogast
The name Antogast is composed of two parts: the primary word “gast” (in the sense of Gischt,
Sprühen, Zischen, Quirlen, Gären) refers to the active carbonic acid of the water. In connection with its determinative element, however, the term Antogast means “guest of Antoni”.
According to Josef Börsig (“History of the Oppenau valley”) a chapel must have been erected in honour of the hermit St. Antonius in the far end of the Maisach valley at around 1300 as the names
Antegast respectively Antengast were mentioned as early as 1316. Even if the mineral spring was not used at that time people must have know about this effervescent water. From the fact that a chapel had already been built as early as 1300 it can be concluded that not only the spring itself but also the use of the water had inspired this chapel. St. Antonius was not only the patron saint of stock breeders but also of medieval infirmaries. So the chapel’s patronage might be a reference to a small refuge for people looking for healing – way before Antogast was mentioned in the book on thermal spas from 1519.
Small frame below the article:
The Antonius spring
In conformity with the definition of the German Association for Spas the water of this spring is
“acidulous sodium-calcium-magnesium-ferric-hydrogen-carbonate water”. According to 1968’s rating the contents of magnesium (102 mg) and of sulphate (402 mg) is quite high. Tests carried out on January 7, 1975 confirmed this. A memorandum of June 16, 1975 mentions four different springs:
1. Antonius spring with a capacity of 2.9 l per minute, 2. Bathe spring (1 l), 3. Valley spring (3.5 l) and
4. Peter’s spring marked as “ran dry”. This spring could, however, be used again. Later the water samples required by the regional council were neglected and Bad Antogast might lose the “Bad” in its name. Werner Peter Lüdemann of “Die Kunst des Lebens Deutschland e. V.“ informed us that currently the water is used but not marketed. The latest tests have again confirmed the unique quality of the water.
Big frame with Guruji’s picture:

Indian flavours: Today, Yoga techniques are the main focus of the European Center Bad Antogast
“Die Kunst des Lebens Deutschland” has been the owner of Bad Antogast since October 13, 1995. As per its website this organization is a volunteer-based, charitable NGO. The fact that it’s based on voluntary work is the reason why the renovation of the building can only happen in small steps. “Die
Kunst des Lebens” co-operates with “The Art of Living Foundation” that was founded in 1982. “We put our intentions into action by uplifting our consciousness and serving others to help us all live in a happier presence and peaceful future,” their website continues. Bad Antogast is the European center of “Die Kunst des Lebens” and also the home of “Sri Sri Ayurveda Europe”. They offer stress-relieving programs from the ancient well of yoga. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from India has personally chosen and improved the methods that also include a profound breathing technique. Two times a year, the center offers 10-day courses in the presence of the spiritual teacher who also loves to come for a stopover on his journeys around the world. The academy Bad Antogast does not just offer meditation, yoga and breathing techniques but also services like books, cosmetic products and
Ayurveda that represents the traditional knowledge of holistic well-being. In a house-owned studio
CDs and DVDs of events are produced and sold all over Europe. The therapies and Ayurvedic treatments are available for anyone.
Text under Guruji’s image:
Spiritual teacher Sri Sri Ravi Shankar enjoys his frequent stopovers in Bad Antogast.