In brief
Gunther von Hagens, known as Doctor Death, has died aged 81 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He pioneered plastination, turning corpses into displayable specimens that drew both fascination and criticism. More than 58 million visitors toured his Body Worlds shows, sparking debate over the ethics of exhibiting human remains. In line with his wishes, his family plans to plastinate his own body. The news reverberates across museums, universities and religious communities worldwide.
Gunther von Hagens – the man behind “Body Worlds” – has died at 81 after years of Parkinson’s disease. He built a career around plastination, a process that touches corpses with rubber and polymers to create lifelike displays. More than 58 million people have visited his global exhibitions, which challenged public norms and drew criticism from religious groups and others.
Von Hagens was born in Nazi‑occupied Poland and grew up in East Germany before moving to the West in 1970. He first refined plastination for academic use before launching his viral show in the late 1990s. The exhibits turned anatomy into a spectacle, making his name a figure of both admiration and outrage.
He faced backlash over accusations of voyeurism and profit from death, and was also involved in the first public autopsy on TV in London after 170 years. Despite controversy, he remains celebrated as a pioneer who made anatomy accessible to the general public.
Your article may include a photo of von Hagens in front of a Body Worlds exhibit and includes related commentary on the ethics of the display. The family confirms a plan to follow his own wish to plastinate his body after death, keeping his legacy alive.
