Gunther von Hagens, Creator of Body Worlds, Dies at 81

Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist who pioneered plastination and created the controversial Body Worlds exhibitions, has died at age 81. He suffered from Parkinson's disease for many years. Von Hagens developed the plastination technique in the 1970s at Heidelberg University, preserving human corpses for anatomical study and public display. His exhibitions have been seen by millions worldwide, but also drew criticism for allegedly violating human dignity. Born in 1945 near Posen (now Poznan, Poland) as Gunther Liebchen, he later adopted his first wife's surname. He began medical studies in Jena in 1965, was imprisoned by East Germany, and was ransomed by West Germany. He earned his doctorate at Heidelberg University. In the 1990s, he founded the Institute for Plastination, a private company. In 2006, he established Gubener Plastinate GmbH in Guben, Brandenburg, managed by his son Rurik von Hagens, where plastinates are produced from body donors. As of 2017, about 16,680 people were registered in the body donor program. His second wife, Angelina Whalley, oversees the global exhibition concept. A Berlin museum opened at Alexanderplatz in 2015, initially opposed by the local district which argued the plastinates were corpses requiring burial; after court rulings, the museum adjusted its display.