Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist who revolutionised the preservation of human bodies and brought plastination to global audiences through his controversial Body Worlds exhibitions, has died aged 81. He passed away in a hospital in Heidelberg on 24 July, one day after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage. Von Hagens had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2008. The Institute for Plastination announced his death in a statement, describing him as the inventor of plastination and creator of the internationally acclaimed Body Worlds shows.
The technique of plastination was developed by von Hagens in 1977 while working as a research scientist at the University of Heidelberg's Institute of Pathology and Anatomy. His method involved extracting water and soluble fats from deceased bodies and replacing them with silicone resins, epoxies and plastics, resulting in rigid, long-lasting specimens that could be displayed in lifelike poses. From 1995 onwards, these plastinated bodies were exhibited in travelling shows that travelled to cities worldwide. Some specimens were sliced to reveal internal organs, while others were posed playing chess, performing exercises or engaged in intimate acts. The exhibitions attracted more than 50 million visitors globally.
Von Hagens frequently expressed his wish to have his own body plastinated after death, stating he could envision it standing at the entrance of an exhibition or rendered into slices distributed across various sites. A spokesperson for the Plastinarium museum in Guben, which von Hagens founded in 2006, confirmed that his body would definitely be plastinated in accordance with his long-held wishes, though the exact display location remained undecided. He co-curated the exhibitions with his second wife, Angelina Whalley, describing his mission as one of democratising anatomy and breaking down taboos surrounding death.