Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist who developed plastination and created the globally touring Body Worlds exhibition, passed away at age 81 in a Heidelberg hospital following a cerebral haemorrhage. The Institute for Plastination and his family confirmed his death on Monday.
Von Hagens developed the plastination technique in 1977 while working at the University of Heidelberg’s institute of pathology and anatomy. The preservation method involves extracting bodily fluids and soluble fats from deceased bodies and replacing them with resins, silicon rubbers, and epoxies, resulting in rigid tissue that can be displayed in lifelike poses. Beginning in 1995, his preserved bodies were displayed in traveling exhibitions that attracted over 50 million visitors worldwide. The displays featured bodies in various configurations, including some sliced to reveal internal organs and others arranged in activities such as exercise or games.
Von Hagens and his second wife, Angelina Whalley, presented the Body Worlds exhibitions as educational tools intended to democratize anatomy and challenge cultural taboos surrounding death. However, the displays generated significant controversy, with critics arguing certain exhibits, particularly collections of fetal specimens at different developmental stages, appeared designed to sensationalize rather than educate. Questions also arose regarding the sourcing of bodies used in the exhibitions, particularly following a 2004 German news magazine report claiming that a plastination facility in China had obtained bodies from police, some of which bore signs of execution.
Von Hagens had frequently expressed his desire to have his own body preserved through plastination after death. In a 2018 statement, he indicated openness to either standing at an exhibition entrance in a welcoming pose or being sliced and distributed across multiple locations. A Plastinarium spokesperson confirmed that his body would be plastinated according to his wishes, though the venue for its display remains undetermined. Von Hagens had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2008, which progressively limited his motor skills and speech in his final years.
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