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The short version

  • Von Hagens pioneered plastination, replacing bodily fluids with polymers to preserve specimens without decay.
  • The BODY WORLDS exhibitions have attracted over 58 million visitors across six continents since 1995.
  • Despite past ethical criticisms comparing the displays to historical atrocities, von Hagens viewed the work as educational and humanistic.

Gunther von Hagens, the anatomist renowned for creating the BODY WORLDS museum exhibitions, died in July at age 81 following a cerebral hemorrhage. According to his wife, curator Angelina Whalley, von Hagens requested that his own body be preserved using plastination, the technique he invented three decades ago. This method involves removing natural fluids and replacing them with resins or elastomers, allowing for long-term preservation without decay. Von Hagens developed the process after observing plastic-encased specimens in East Germany and questioning why the material could not be integrated directly into the tissue.

The resulting exhibitions feature real human corpses posed in various positions, offering viewers a detailed look at internal anatomy. Since premiering in Tokyo in 1995, the tours have visited 42 countries, drawing more than 58 million attendees. Permanent installations now exist in California, Germany, and the Netherlands. While the displays have faced significant criticism, including comparisons to Nazi medical experiments by religious and literary figures, von Hagens maintained that his work was strictly scientific. He argued that understanding one’s own anatomy fosters a healthier, more responsible lifestyle.

News Journal

Von Hagens’ journey began in communist East Germany before he migrated to West Germany in 1970 to continue his medical studies. At the University of Heidelberg, he faced skepticism when proposing his preservation ideas but persisted, creating his first plastinated kidney in 1977. The process requires approximately 1,500 working hours per specimen, involving fixation with formaldehyde, acetone baths to remove water and fats, and immersion in liquid polymers. Whalley stated that von Hagens believed knowledge of the body contributes to conscious living, framing his controversial legacy as deeply humanistic rather than sensationalist.

Sources behind this briefing

Go to the original reporting

  • Smithsonian Magazine↗This Man Turned Human Corpses Into Popular Museum Displays. Now, the Creator of These Controversial ‘Body Worlds’ Has Donated His Own Body to Science