Ryke Geerd Hamer—Inventor of German New Medicine

Ryke Geerd Hamer (1935–2017) was a German doctor who, as he fell ill with cancer after the death of his son, thought he had discovered that cancer and all other diseases are the result of an emotional conflict. He mixed this idea with antisemitism and other bizarre notions to create his ‘New German Medicine’. Hamer ran into multiple problems with the law, served time in prison, lost his licence, and continued to practice as a Heilpraktiker. Attempting to evade the authorities, he changed countries several times and eventually settled in Norway where he died in 2017. Despite its overt absurdity, Hamer’s ‘German New Medicine’ still has a small but vociferous following.