Corpse Meister Plans to Exhibit Own Body

Gunther von Hagens suffering from Parkinson's

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 4, 2011 2:23 AM CST

(Newser) – The German anatomist famous for his displays of preserved corpses is preparing to become part of one of his own exhibitions. Gunther von Hagens, who pioneered the "plastination" technique of preserving corpses by injecting them with plastics, is suffering from Parkinson's disease and says the symptoms are becoming impossible to control, Der Spiegel reports.

"I want to prepare myself for the plastination of my own body and determine the place where I want to be exhibited after my death," said the 65-year-old scientist. The anatomist's "Body Worlds" exhibitions, which display corpses in poses including running, playing musical instruments, and even having sex, have been viewed by tens of millions of people around the world.

Gunther von Hagens talks about the plastination process and his creations during a news conference at the Museum of Science in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, file)

Gunther von Hagens poses with a display from his "Body Worlds" anatomy exhibit. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

20%

11%

49%

11%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Gaga to Bring Corpses on Tour

Just when you thought she couldn't grab any more attention

(NEWSER) - How could Lady Gaga possibly get even more outlandish? Easy: Bring corpses on stage. Gaga plans to team up with scientist Gunther von Hagens, the doctor who famously preserves dead bodies for the Body Worlds exhibition, for next month’s Las Vegas stop on her Monster Ball tour. “Gaga sees a kindred spirit” in him, and Vegas is “the obvious fit” for his work, a source tells the Sun . More»

Corpses Having Sex Sparks Uproar

Popular traveling exhibit of bodies triggers new controversy

(NEWSER) - A controversial traveling exhibit of preserved bodies has sparked a storm of controversy with a new addition of corpses having sex, reports the Guardian. "It's not meant to be sexually stimulating," said creator Gunther von Hagens, who opens the Berlin exhibit to the public today. German politicians and church members have demanded the couple be removed, calling the display pornographic and an insult to the dead. More»

US Troops Posed With Suicide Bombers' Remains

Soldier gives 18 images to 'Los Angeles Times'

(NEWSER) - On at least two occasions, paratroopers with the 82^nd Airborne Division posed for pictures with body parts of fallen Afghan insurgents, the Los Angeles Times revealed today, after a soldier from the division sent the paper 18 resulting photos. In one, soldiers grin for the camera while holding aloft the corpse's severed legs; in another, they have a severed hand flip off the camera. In still another, someone placed a patch reading "Zombie Hunter" next to some remains. More»

Pair Sentenced for Taking Dead Pal on Bar Crawl

Denver pair used corpse's credit card in strip club

(NEWSER) - Denver's Weekend at Bernie's duo are going to be spending a lot of weekends doing community service for taking a dead friend on a night out —and letting him pick up the tab. Robert Young and Mark Rubinson put their pal, 43, in the back of a car after finding him dead at home, visited bars and restaurants, and used his credit card to pay for drinks at a strip club. They pleaded guilty to abusing a corpse and identity theft, Reuters reports. More»

Parkinson’s Drug May Speed Brain Injury Recovery

Amantadine hydrochloride shown to accelerate improvement

(NEWSER) - Good news for patients suffering from severe brain injuries: A drug used to treat Parkinson's disease could accelerate their recovery. The drug, amantadine hydrochloride, was tested against a placebo in a blind study of 184 patients. The group receiving the drug showed more improvement—not a lot more, but in a very short period of time—leading researchers to believe that the drug may be the first therapy able to be used as a standard to reliably help brain-injured patients. After the patients were taken off the drug, recovery slowed and the placebo group caught back up. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Corpse Meister Plans to Exhibit Own Body

Gunther von Hagens suffering from Parkinson's

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

corpse • Parkinson's disease • Gunther von Hagens • Gunter von Hagens

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Gaga to Bring Corpses on Tour

Just when you thought she couldn't grab any more attention

Corpses Having Sex Sparks Uproar

Popular traveling exhibit of bodies triggers new controversy

US Troops Posed With Suicide Bombers' Remains

Soldier gives 18 images to 'Los Angeles Times'

Pair Sentenced for Taking Dead Pal on Bar Crawl

Denver pair used corpse's credit card in strip club

Parkinson’s Drug May Speed Brain Injury Recovery

Amantadine hydrochloride shown to accelerate improvement

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?