The German physician, scientist, and artist Gunther von Hagens, internationally recognized for developing the technique of plastination of human bodies, passed away on July 24 at the age of 81, the Institute for Plastination reported this Monday.
The institution highlighted that Von Hagens revolutionized the study of anatomy by creating an innovative method for preserving biological tissues in 1977, allowing human bodies and organs to be preserved for educational, scientific, and outreach purposes. His work brought knowledge of the human body to millions of people through exhibitions that toured numerous countries.
Plastinated body specimens have sparked both admiration and controversy since their first public exhibition, by presenting real cadavers in different poses to show the functioning of the body’s muscles, organs, and systems.
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Gunther von Hagens was born in 1945 in Alt-Skalden, a town that is currently part of Poland. During his youth, he was imprisoned in the then German Democratic Republic after attempting to escape to West Germany. He later managed to settle in that country, where he studied medicine and began a career dedicated to anatomical research.
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In 1993, he founded the Institute for Plastination in the city of Heidelberg, from where he promoted the development and refinement of the technique that made him a reference figure in the international scientific field.
With his passing, one of the most influential anatomists of recent decades disappears, whose legacy remains relevant in medical education and scientific outreach worldwide.
