Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist who gained international recognition for his "Body Worlds" exhibitions of preserved human bodies, has died at the age of 81. His family and the Institute for Plastination, which he founded, announced his death on Monday, though they provided no further details.

Von Hagens had publicly disclosed his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease in 2010.

He developed the plastination process in the 1970s. This technique involves replacing body fluids with liquid plastic, which then hardens, preserving tissues and preventing decay. This method allowed him to create displays of human corpses and their internal organs.

The first "Body Worlds" exhibition was held in Japan in 1995, followed by a showing in Germany two years later, which faced opposition from some religious leaders. Von Hagens stated his aim was to help people understand their own bodies and to challenge societal taboos surrounding death and the human form.

"I touch here a taboo, which is our body, and nothing is so near as our body is to us," he said.

The exhibitions featured bodies donated by individuals who had agreed to be plastinated. Critics sometimes accused von Hagens of sensationalism, pointing to displays such as a plastinated corpse on a horse or a pregnant woman with a fetus. One critic described his work as playing "with the corpses like a child plays with dolls."

In 2002, von Hagens conducted Britain's first public autopsy in 170 years during a "Body Worlds" show in London. This event drew criticism from some medical ethics officials, who deemed it "degrading and disrespectful."

"Body Worlds" exhibitions were also presented in several American cities, beginning with a debut in Los Angeles in 2004. In 2006, von Hagens established the "Plastinarium," a facility for preparing bodies, in Guben, Germany.

Born Gunther Liebchen in 1945, he studied medicine in East Germany before attempting to flee to the West. He was detained and later released to West Germany in 1970. He continued his medical studies and began working at Heidelberg University. He adopted the surname von Hagens after marrying his classmate, Cornelia von Hagens. His second wife, Angelina Whalley, managed the Institute for Plastination and curated the exhibitions.

According to the statement released by his family, it was von Hagens' wish that his own body be plastinated, a request his family intends to fulfill.