BERLIN (AP) — Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist who generated both fascination and revulsion around the globe with his "Body Worlds" exhibits of preserved human corpses, has died. He was 81.
Von Hagens' family and the Institute for Plastination, which he founded, said he died on Friday. A statement they issued on Monday gave no further details. Von Hagens had announced in 2010 that he was living with Parkinson's disease.
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Von Hagens trod a fine line between science, entertainment and commerce with his touring exhibits, as well as headline-grabbing actions such as a public autopsy.
At the heart of von Hagens' work was the so-called plastination process — replacing body fluids with liquid plastic that then hardens. That technique, which he started developing in the 1970s, prevented decay, left tissues intact and allowed him to display preserved corpses and their inner organs.
