The Controversial Things People Often Forget About Body Worlds

For many, the idea of studying anatomy - let alone looking at it - can be pretty uncomfortable. After all, seeing a human body broken down into parts can be a lot to stomach. That's before we even think about the fact that used to be a walking, talking person. Still, in 1995, anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens changed everything when he opened Body Worlds.

For the first time, people could see human remains that have been carefully dissected and posed into a host of positions as they learn how the human body works and everything that goes on inside us all. The problem? The controversial things people often forget about Body Worlds puts everything into a new perspective.

Gunther von Hagens has faced his own share of controversies

The man behind the controversial Body Worlds is none other than Gunther von Hagens, but it seems he's no stranger to controversies himself. When at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, Gunther began using plastination to try and preserve tissue. For a time, this was something used to preserve specimens used for studying, but that changed when Gunther started to put his plans for Body Worlds. The first exhibition opened in Tokyo in 1995. However, in 2002, it was Gunther's work in London that really saw him in the firing line. Here, he planned to perform an autopsy on human remains in front of 500 people, stating the elderly man had donated his body for this precise exhibition. Although authorities claimed that Gunther violated the Anatomy Act, he was never arrested. In fact, just a few years later, Gunther was seen performing dissections and preserving bodies on several TV shows.

Some are concerned about the consent used by Body Worlds

So, do people really know their bodies are going to be displayed at Body Worlds? According to Gunther von Hagens, they do. He claims that everyone has to give clear, written consent and that no one with any mental health concerns or prisoners can donate their bodies as they wouldn't be able to give proper consent. It's also said that someone can revoke their consent at any point before they lose their lives and that everyone must pass away due to natural causes. However, that's where things get muddy. In 2006, NPR reported that the paper trail used by Body Worlds was hard to follow and that some remains are eventually separated from any of their consent paperwork to keep things as anonymous as possible. Still, that might work a little too well as it makes it even harder for Gunther to prove that everyone is a part of Body Works because they willingly chose to be.

One Body Worlds display caused a lot of controversy

Of course, the idea of seeing dissected human remains can be a lot to take on board in the first place. However, there was a display called the 'Cycle of Life' that really took things to a new level. The exhibit first debuted in 2009 in Berlin and featured a male and female in the middle of being intimate. To make matters worse, several parts of anatomy have been removed to give an even closer look at the act. There was plenty of pushback from various nations, even though Body Worlds2 declared it was all about bringing every aspect of life into the educational system. The controversy didn't stop the exhibition from traveling around the world, but there have been some changes. While Gunther von Hagens has continued to make more Body Worlds exhibitions with these poses, they are often now stored in a separate room, and minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Russian suppliers were once charged with illegally supplying bodies

Just because Gunther von Hagens claims that every exhibit at Body Worlds was donated with the person's full consent doesn't mean people have always stuck to the rules. In 2002, two doctors from Russia were caught and charged with illegally obtaining bodies and donating them to Body Worlds without getting any form of consent from their families. In total, 56 bodies were donated to Body Worlds, but Gunther claims they were returned before any of them were put on display. Then, three years later, another Russian medical official was convicted of illegally exporting human remains, including supposedly taking the remains of homeless people, mental patients, and prisoners. The families had been told their loved ones were cremated and even handed them ashes, but that was all a lie.

The controversial things people often forget about Body Worlds might just put the disturbing exhibition into perspective. While the aim has always been to educate people about how the body works and what we're made of, it can be easy to forget all the things that go on behind the scenes to make these exhibits happen.