Tradition Meets Modernity: Treasures From the Monastic Apothecary

In 2023, a special idea began to take shape, and today it delights many enthusiastic customers with high-quality natural products. The inspiration for Primula Vita came from the closely guarded recipe of the Mühlbach Monastery Ointment, whose success has excited numerous users. This motivated the search for more traditional recipes from the Tertiary Sisters’ monastery pharmacy.

With the support of Sr. Regina Kugler’s legacy, the knowledge of Sr. Eva Maria Pichler, and the herbal blends of Sr. Elmara Psaier, Michaela Egebrecht and Sr. Mirjam Volgger launched a new project. Together with an experienced pharmacist from Tscherms in Northern Italy, they took the first steps to revive old monastery pharmacy recipes. By June of the same year, the first ointments had already been tested – the Primula Vita project was born.

A Strong Team for Unique Products

Sister Mirjam Volgger, a nurse and superior of the South Tyrol Order Province, brings her extensive experience from the care sector, knowing what products are needed for health and well-being. Michaela Egebrecht, trained in business administration and medical and health management, complements the team with her years of experience in product development. Together, they created a product line that combines ancient monastery knowledge with modern pharmacy.

Marketing and the Franciscan Spirit

Due to limited staffing in the monastery, sales are exclusively online. Nevertheless, the two founders value personal contact with their customers, which is why they are regularly found at selected markets and fairs.

The Franciscan spirit that runs through the project is reflected in the desire to promote people’s well-being. For Sister Mirjam and Michaela, this means making old, valuable natural recipes available to everyone in the form of products. Their project stands for the vitality of monastic life and the desire to be among the people.

Traditional Recipes Reinterpreted

The range now includes eight ointments, including the popular “Mühlbach Monastery Ointment” and the Calendula Ointment. In the field of natural cosmetics, the lemon balm hand cream is particularly popular. New to the range are a body lotion and a shower gel based on calendula. Elixirs, such as the bitter elixir with milk thistle, have also been added to the range – it supports digestion, liver, and gallbladder. Herbal teas round off the offerings. Particularly noteworthy is “Sister Elmara’s Composition,” an herbal tea blend developed specifically for nursing mothers to promote milk production and aid in postpartum recovery.

Sustainability and Regional Quality

The monastery garden in Brixen provides, among other things, lavender, from which the lavender hydrosol used in the products is made. This is used, for example, as a spray and has a calming effect on tension and insomnia. The other ingredients for the products come from organic farmers in the South Tyrol region, such as beeswax and larch resin from the Brixen area.

Collaboration and Expertise

An experienced pharmacist from Tscherms ensures the qualified production of the Primula Vita products. Sister Mirjam Volgger and Michaela Egebrecht contribute the recipes and traditional healing knowledge, while Martina transforms these ideas into high-quality finished products.