塑化术的发明者、著名的"身体世界"（Body Worlds）展览创始人冈瑟·冯·哈根斯于周五因脑出血去世，享年81岁 [1]。这位德国解剖学家在入院仅一天后离世，他在过去数十年间因开发将尸体中的液体和脂肪组织替换为橡胶和聚合物的塑化技术而蜚声国际 [1]。
冯·哈根斯的创新展览已吸引全球超过5800万观众参观 [1]，但他展示人类遗骸的做法始终备受宗教团体和批评人士的反对 [1]。2002年，他在伦敦进行了170年来首次公开尸检，进一步推动了公众对解剖学的认识 [1]。冯·哈根斯曾患帕金森病近二十年 [1]，并在生前请求将自己的遗体进行塑化处理 [1]。1970年，他从东德逃往西方 [1]。
Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist who invented plastination and created the Body Worlds exhibition, has died at the age of 81 [1]. He passed away in Heidelberg, Germany, following a cerebral hemorrhage after just one day of hospitalization [1].
Von Hagens developed plastination, a groundbreaking preservation technique that replaces bodily fluids and fatty tissues with rubber and polymers, allowing corpses to be displayed for educational purposes [1]. His Body Worlds exhibitions have attracted more than 58 million visitors worldwide [1]. Despite their educational value and popularity, the exhibitions have faced persistent criticism and opposition from religious groups and others who object to the public display of human remains [1].
Von Hagens had suffered from Parkinson's disease for nearly two decades prior to his death [1]. He had previously expressed his wish to have his own body plastinated following his death [1]. In 2002, he performed the first public autopsy in London in 170 years, further cementing his role in bringing anatomical study into the public sphere [1]. Von Hagens fled East Germany for the West in 1970 [1].