‘Body Worlds’ anatomist Gunther von Hagens dies at 81
AP News • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist known for his controversial "Body Worlds" exhibits featuring preserved human corpses, has died at age 81; he had Parkinson’s disease since 2010.
- Von Hagens pioneered the plastination process in the 1970s, which replaces body fluids with liquid plastic to preserve tissues and display human anatomy in unprecedented detail.
- His exhibitions, starting in Japan in 1995 and later shown worldwide, sparked debate for pushing boundaries between science, entertainment, and sensationalism, including public autopsies and provocative displays.
- Despite criticism from religious and ethical groups, von Hagens defended his work as educational, aiming to help people understand their own bodies and challenge taboos about death.
- Von Hagens was born in 1945 in what is now Poland, studied medicine in East Germany before defecting to the West, and founded the Institute for Plastination; his family plans to honor his wish to have his body plastinated.
