BODY WORLDS Turns 30!
This year marks a remarkable milestone: BODY WORLDS celebrates its 30th anniversary. Since its first exhibition in Tokyo in September 1995, the groundbreaking show has inspired, educated, and fascinated millions of people around the globe. With permanent exhibitions in the USA, Germany, and of course ours in Amsterdam, and touring shows across continents, BODY WORLDS has become a true cultural phenomenon.
But the story of BODY WORLDS started long before its public debut. It began with one man’s vision to make anatomy come alive!
How plastination was invented
As a young anatomy teacher, Dr. Gunther von Hagens struggled to bring the human body to life using only textbook photos and traditional specimens. In the 1970s, while working as an Anatomical Assistant, he came across specimens embedded in plastic blocks. He had a simple but revolutionary thought: what if the plastic could be inside the specimen instead of around it?
After years of experimentation, his breakthrough came on January 10,1977 when he successfully created the first presentable ‘Plastinate’. Just two months later, he filed his invention with the German Patent Office. In 1993, Dr. von Hagens established the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, laying the foundation for what would become BODY WORLDS. Together with his wife, Dr. Angelina Whalley, he transformed plastination from a scientific method into an unforgettable public experience.
(Want to learn more about BODY WORLDS creator dr. Gunther von Hagens? Read our Q&A with him on this page)
(image: Instagram @Gunthervonhagensbodyworlds)
The first BODY WORLDS exhibition
The idea of displaying human body plastinates sparked ethical debate in Europe. Therefor, the first exhibition didn’t take place near the home of plastination in Heidelberg. Instead, it premiered in Asia, where there was already a lot of interest in this groundbreaking concept.
The first BODY WORLDS exhibition opened in September 1995 at the National Science Museum in Tokyo. The response was overwhelming: in just four months, the exhibition attracted more than 450,000 visitors.
For the first time, the public could explore the inner workings of the human body with an immediacy and detail never seen before. Instead of abstract diagrams, they encountered real human bodies, preserved through plastination and displayed in dynamic, lifelike poses.
Since then, BODY WORLDS has continued to grow, with exhibitions tailored to different aspects of human health and life.
Different BODY WORLDS themes
While all BODY WORLDS exhibitions reveal the wonders of anatomy, each show highlights a specific theme:
- BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart – a deep dive into cardiology.
- BODY WORLDS & The Cycle of Life – exploring human development, aging, and longevity.
- BODY WORLDS Vital – celebrating the body’s vitality and physical capabilities.
- BODY WORLDS: Pulse – showing the human body in the 21st century.
- BODY WORLDS RX – a prescription for a healthy life.
- And of course: BODY WORLDS: The Happiness Project – exploring how happiness affects health.
Each exhibition introduces different plastinates and fresh perspectives, ensuring even repeat visitors always find something new to discover.
Read more about the various themes here.
What is the idea behind BODY WORLDS?
From the beginning, the mission of Dr. von Hagens and Dr. Whalley has been clear:
- To provide preventive health education in an engaging way.
- To motivate people to take better care of their own bodies.
- To demonstrate both the possibilities and limits of the human body.
- To spark discussion about the meaning of humanity.
By showing the human body, BODY WORLDS connects science with personal reflection. Visitors leave not only amazed by the complexity of human anatomy, but also inspired to make healthier choices.
The exhibition right now
In the past 30 years, BODY WORLDS has been presented in over 170 cities across 42 countries on six continents. More than 57 million people have visited the exhibitions, making it one of the most successful and influential exhibition concepts in the world.
BODY WORLDS has revived the tradition of public anatomy, turning it into a global cultural movement that blends education, art, and science.
