Gunther von Hagens, the pioneer of plastination and creator of Body Worlds, has died at 81 after years living with Parkinson’s disease.

His exhibitions, featuring partially skinless corpses, aimed to educate the public about human anatomy and sparked debates over sensationalism versus public education.

Launched Body Worlds in 1995, turning plastination into a global commercial phenomenon that toured 42 countries and drew over 50 million visitors, with a later South Korea version attracting about 1.7 million visitors in 2002.

The report notes that it will be updated as more information becomes available.

Whalley, his second wife, long served as translator due to his illness; she and their son Rurik continue leading his work.

Donor registrations from 2017 indicate about 16,680 people were in the body donor program managed by his institute, which coordinates global exhibition concepts overseen by Whalley.

Guben’s mayor described von Hagens as a visionary entrepreneur with strong local ties and a track record of follow-through over more than two decades.

Notable moments included a 2002 London public autopsy and the 2006 international expansion of the Plastinarium in Guben, Germany.

Von Hagens was famous for his distinctive hat and saw himself as breaking boundaries, with his family describing him as brave and steadfast.

The report notes the death and references the video format of the coverage.

Despite ethical objections, demonstrations and international tours continued, including the London autopsy in 2002 which von Hagens called a huge success.

Whalley heads the Heidelberg-based Institute for Plastination and curates the exhibitions, and von Hagens had three children from his first marriage.