BERLIN (AFP)

The German creator of the "Body Worlds" exhibitions of dissected human and animal bodies, Gunther von Hagens, has died at age 81, his family said Monday.

They added in a statement that "it was Gunther von Hagens' own wish to make his body available for plastination after his death", referring to his technique of preserving human remains.

"His family will respect and carry out this wish."

Von Hagens, an anatomist, lecturer, and entrepreneur in the 1970s invented the plastination process, which involves removing water and fat from human and animal tissue and replacing them with chemical compounds.

He would then display the bodies in lifelike poses, revealing their muscles, skeletons, and internal organs in exhibitions that drew millions worldwide.

The Body Worlds exhibit featured in a scene of the 2006 James Bond film "Casino Royale".

Von Hagens was born on January 10, 1945, in Poland and grew up in East Germany. He made his way to West Germany where, following his medical studies, he invented the process to preserve biological specimens in 1977.

Von Hagens died on Friday, according to his his team who praised him as "a pioneer, a researcher, an inventor" who through his work made "anatomy accessible to the general public".

His wife and collaborator Angelina Whalley wrote that "Gunther wanted to give people a look beneath the skin out of the deep conviction that knowledge of one's own body can contribute to a more conscious, healthy, and responsible life.

"His work was scientific, educational, and deeply humanistic. He led millions of people to see their own bodies in a new light," she said.