Balneology is as old as medical science itself. Gathering information about the importance, the application and the healing effect of water accompanied the history of mankind. Humans cannot live without water. They can only survive for a short time without drinking. Beyond quenching human thirst, water has other beneficial effects, for example relaxing the body when having a bath. Water implies cleanliness, hygiene and therefore health. Particular kinds of water, i.e. mineral-rich waters, have distinctive curing effects.

Read about the history of balneology in Germany in Bernhard Weller´s lecture Balneology as an Academic Discipline in Germany: Genesis, Development and Significance. Bernhard Weller is the director of the spa museum and the municipal museums of Bad Wildungen (Germany).