Gunther von Hagens: 80 Years of the Anatomist Who Defied Death and Revolutionized Anatomy Since Vesalius

This editorial commemorates the 80th birthday of Prof. Dr. Gunther von Hagens, situating his work within the long trajectory of transformations that have reshaped anatomy from the Renaissance to the present day. The invention of plastination in 1977 marked a decisive turning point in the preservation, study, and teaching of the human body by introducing curable polymers that enabled durable, biosecure specimens of high scientific value, thereby substantially expanding the scope of modern anatomical analysis. The text links von Hagens’ personal trajectory, shaped by adversity, resistance, and innovation, to his scientific impact, emphasizing plastination not as a replacement for classical dissection but as a complementary approach that enhances clinical, surgical, and topographical anatomical study with unprecedented precision. It also examines the academic and cultural reach of Body Worlds as an extension of anatomical discourse into society, reopening ethical and epistemological debates on the human body. Finally, the editorial underscores von Hagens’ enduring legacy, understood as part of a continuous anatomical revolution in which the discipline renews itself without abandoning its historical foundations, reaffirming its scientific, educational, and humanistic relevance.