Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist who invented plastination and created the controversial Body Worlds exhibitions, has died at the age of 81. His institute confirmed his passing on Monday, stating that his body will be plastinated in line with his long-held wishes.
Death and Plastination Plans
Von Hagens died on 24 July in a hospital in Heidelberg, a day after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2008. A spokesperson for the Plastinarium, a museum he founded in Guben, Germany, in 2006, said his body "will definitely be plastinated, as this was always a long-held wish of his." The location for its display has not yet been determined.
Inventor of Plastination
Born Gunther Gerhard Liebchen in January 1945 in Skalmierzyce, Poland (then Alt-Skalden under German occupation), von Hagens grew up in socialist East Germany. He was imprisoned in 1969 after attempting to flee to the West. In 1970, West Germany paid 40,000 deutschmarks for his release as a political prisoner. He later adopted the surname von Hagens from his first wife, Cornelia.
Von Hagens developed plastination in 1977 while working at the University of Heidelberg's institute of pathology and anatomy. The technique replaces bodily fluids and soluble fat with resins, silicon rubbers, and epoxies, preserving bodies in rigid, lifelike poses.
Body Worlds Exhibitions
From 1995, von Hagens toured the world with Body Worlds exhibitions, displaying plastinated human bodies in various poses, including playing chess and doing physical exercise. The exhibitions attracted over 50 million visitors globally, according to the institute. Von Hagens curated the shows with his second wife, Angelina Whalley, aiming to "democratise anatomy" and challenge death taboos.
However, the exhibitions faced criticism for sensationalism, particularly displays of foetal specimens. In 2004, Der Spiegel reported that von Hagens' facility in Dalian, China, had purchased "ownerless bodies" from police, some executed with bullet holes. He later instructed employees to stop accepting executed bodies.
Final Years and Legacy
Von Hagens' public persona—often seen in a fedora and leather vest—drew mixed reactions. After Parkinson's disease limited his motor skills and speech, he transferred duties to his wife and son, Rurik. In a 2018 Guardian article, he wrote, "I don't think there is a continuum beyond death. Every deceased body I have seen has shown me the absence of the soul."
