Body Donation
Informed Consent
The Ultimate Gift
Body donation is the ethical cornerstone of plastination.
In 1993 – two years before the first BODY WORLDS exhibition or the 2006 introduction of the PLASTINARIUM in Guben – Dr. Gunther von Hagens established the Institute for Plastination (IfP), a private research facility located in Heidelberg dedicated to the development and advancement of plastination. Housed at the IfP is the Body Donation Program for Plastination.
Informed Consent
Body Donation for plastination is not a contract, but an informed declaration of intent.
During the donor’s lifetime, they voluntarily consent to plastination for the purposes of basic and continuing anatomy education, training and research, as well as for the general anatomy education of the public. This means that their body is not buried after death, but transferred to the Institute for Plastination for processing.
Full Disclosure
Prospective donors are provided with detailed information, including:
IfP Body Donation Program
To date, the Body Donation Program has nearly 20,000 body donors on its roster, with more than 2,800 donors having died since it was established. The donors come from over 33 countries, with the majority from Germany (about 85%) and North America (about 10%).
Motivation for body donation varies. Typically, donors want to advance anatomy education for future generations after their death. Many body donors register for body donation after visiting a BODY WORLDS exhibition.
Interested in learning more about donating your body for plastination? Click the link below for additional information about the IfP Body Donation Program.
