Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist behind the ‘Body Worlds’ exhibition, dies at 81
The anatomist’s family said his body will be made available for plastination, honoring his wish after decades of controversy over the exhibits.
- The German creator of The Body Worlds exhibitions of dissected human and animal bodies, Gunther von Hagens, died at age 81, his family stated Monday.
- Born in Nazi-occupied Poland and raised in East Germany, Von Hagens fled to West Germany where he invented the plastination process in 1977 to preserve bodies in lifelike poses.
- His Body Worlds exhibitions drew millions worldwide despite occasional calls for bans and controversies over voyeurism; the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale featured the exhibit.
- Von Hagens' family stated that "it was Gunther von Hagens' own wish to make his body available for plastination after his death," and they will respect and carry out this wish.
- Wife and collaborator Angelina Whalley wrote that "Gunther wanted to give people a look beneath the skin," describing his work as "scientific, educational and deeply humanistic" to make anatomy accessible.
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Gunther von Hagens, the German scientist who invented carcasses to display them as if they were alive, died at the age of 81.
Gunter von Hagens developed the method of "plastinizing" corpses and became famous with the Body Worlds exhibition that traveled around the world. The post Gunter von Hagens: The anatomist who exhibited preserved corpses has died - Now he will become an exhibit himself appeared first on in.gr.
The controversial »body worlds« founder and morgue preparation Gunther von Hagens died.
He Famously Exhibited Preserved Human Corpses
Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist who generated both fascination and revulsion around the globe with his "Body Worlds" exhibits of preserved human corpses, has died. He was 81. Von Hagens' family and the Institute for Plastination, which he founded, said he died on Friday. A statement they issued on...
Gunther von Hagens (1945-2026): He developed the plastination technique, which allows bodies to be preserved at various stages of dissection. With…
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