Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist behind the 'Body Worlds' exhibition, dies at 81

BERLIN -- Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist who generated some fascination and revulsion astir the globe with his “Body Worlds” exhibits of preserved quality corpses, has died. He was 81.

Von Hagens' household and the Institute for Plastination, which helium founded, said helium died connected Friday. A connection they issued connected Monday gave nary further details. Von Hagens had announced successful 2010 that helium was surviving with Parkinson’s disease.

Von Hagens trod a good enactment betwixt science, amusement and commerce with his touring exhibits, arsenic good arsenic headline-grabbing actions specified arsenic a nationalist autopsy.

At the bosom of von Hagens’ enactment was the alleged plastination process — replacing assemblage fluids with liquid integrative that past hardens. That technique, which helium started processing successful the 1970s, prevented decay, near tissues intact and allowed him to show preserved corpses and their interior organs.

The resulting exhibition, “Body Worlds,” archetypal went connected amusement successful Japan successful 1995.

Two years later, the postulation of partially skinless corpses went connected show successful von Hagens’ homeland, overcoming an effort by section religion leaders to artifact its opening connected the grounds that it was disrespectful. Von Hagens said helium was helping viewers recognize however their bodies work.

The anatomist “is forced successful his regular enactment to cull the taboos and convictions that radical person astir decease and the dead,” von Hagens said of his work.

“I interaction present a taboo, which is our body, and thing is truthful adjacent arsenic our assemblage is to us,” helium said.

The shows utilized the corpses of radical who agreed to donate their bodies for plastination. Critics argued that von Hagens bordered connected sensationalism with his works, which included a corpse riding a plastinated horse, and a large pistillate with an eight-month-old fetus inside.

Von Hagens “plays with the corpses similar a kid plays with dolls,” the Rev. Ernst Pulsfort, spiritual rector of Berlin’s Catholic Academy, said erstwhile the amusement archetypal opened successful the German superior successful 2001. He argued that it catered to a “public lust for sensation.”

During a “Body Worlds” amusement successful London successful 2002, the anatomist — wearing, arsenic ever, his trademark achromatic fedora — conducted Britain’s archetypal nationalist autopsy successful 170 years earlier a sellout assemblage of hundreds, defying authorities warnings that it mightiness beryllium illegal.

Von Hagens declared it a “huge success.” The British Medical Association’s caput of ethics, Dr. Michael Wilkes, said it was “degrading and disrespectful.”

The “Body Worlds” exhibits were shown successful respective American cities aft making their U.S. debut successful Los Angeles successful 2004.

Von Hagens' “Plastinarium,” wherever bodies are prepared, opened successful the eastbound German municipality of Guben successful 2006.

The anatomist was calved Gunther Liebchen connected Jan. 10, 1945, successful what is present occidental Poland.

He went to aesculapian schoolhouse successful Jena successful East Germany, but progressively questioned the communist strategy and made a failed effort to fly to the West. He was detained earlier West Germany bought his state successful 1970, a regular signifier astatine the time.

He continued his aesculapian studies astatine the University of Luebeck and, successful the 1970s, began moving astatine Heidelberg University’s pathology and anatomy institute. He joined a erstwhile classmate, Cornelia von Hagens, and took her surname.

His 2nd wife, Angelina Whalley, heads his Heidelberg-based Institute for Plastination and curates his exhibitions, and helium had 3 children from his archetypal marriage.

Monday's connection said it was von Hagens' privation that his assemblage beryllium made disposable for plastination and “his household volition respect and transportation retired this wish.”