Overview
- Von Hagens died on July 24 at age 81, a fact his family made public in a statement that also said they would carry out his wish to have his body plastinated.
- Multiple outlets reported that he was admitted to a Heidelberg hospital shortly before his death with a brain hemorrhage, though the family has not released a formal cause of death.
- The plastination technique he developed in 1977 replaces body fluids with polymers to create durable anatomical specimens and underpinned the global Körperwelten exhibitions that attracted tens of millions of visitors.
- His work transformed public access to anatomy and medical teaching but provoked recurring ethical objections from churches, some municipal authorities, and critics who argued the public display of human remains violated dignity.
- Operational control of the Plastinarium and the Institute for Plastination will remain with Whalley and Rurik von Hagens, leaving decisions about whether and how his plastinated body might be displayed to the family and institute.