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.
129 Articles
129 Articles
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…
Gunther von Hagens was a German scientist and anatomist of international renown for inventing the plastination technique. Prior to his death, which took place on July 24, 2026, he asked his family to preserve his body through the process he invented almost 50 years ago. But who was he? At SDPNoticias we share some information with you. Who was Gunther von Hagens? Scientist from GermanyGunther Gerhard Liebchen, known as Gunther von Hagens, was a …
Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist who gained fame with the Body Worlds project, died on July 24 at the age of 81, according to information released by his team of collaborators this Monday. Creator of plastination, a conservation technique that consists in extracting water and fat from tissues and replacing them with silicone or epoxy resin, Von Hagens generated controversy by the display of human and animal bodies. "With deep sadness, hi…
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