Gunther von Hagens, creator of Body Worlds and plastination, dies aged 81
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- Gunther von Hagens died at age 81, according to the source.
- Von Hagens developed plastination, a technique for permanently preserving human bodies in rigid states, and toured the world with his Body Worlds exhibition.
- The source describes the Body Worlds exhibition as "controversial" and von Hagens as a "controversial anatomist."
- A spokesperson said von Hagens's body "will definitely be plastinated" in line with his own wishes.
Why it matters: Von Hagens's death closes the career of plastination's most prominent practitioner, whose touring exhibitions drew sustained global debate over the ethics of displaying real human remains. His spokesperson's confirmation that his body will itself be plastinated fulfills a stated wish that, the source notes, would have made him his own final exhibit.
