After a four-year break, Body Worlds returns to Poznań. The world's best-known exhibition featuring authentic human bodies preserved through the process of plastination will once again welcome visitors. From 27 August to 31 December 2026, Hall No. 1 at the MTP Poznań will host a new edition of the exhibition - Body Worlds - Vital, dedicated to health, vitality, longevity, and the impact of everyday choices on the way our bodies function.
Four years ago, the people of Poznań had the opportunity to visit Body Worlds- The Cycle of Life, an exhibition exploring the different stages of human life - from conception to old age. Body Worlds - Vital presents a new perspective, focusing on health, physical fitness, and longevity. It shows how nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress levels, and stimulants can affect the condition of our bodies and the quality of our lives.
Visitors can explore more than 160 authentic specimens, including human bodies and organs donated to the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg by individuals who made a conscious and voluntary decision to become donors. Thanks to the plastination technique developed by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, visitors can examine human anatomy in extraordinary detail, observe muscles, internal organs and the nervous system, and gain a deeper understanding of how the human body functions.
Body Worlds is the world's first public exhibition of human anatomy. Since its debut, it has been seen by more than 57 million people, making it the most visited anatomical exhibition in history and one of the world's most widely recognized science-education projects.
One of the exhibition's most powerful elements is the comparison of healthy and diseased organs. Visitors can see how smoking damages the lungs, how obesity affects the heart and circulatory system, and how excessive amounts of sugar, salt and fat can accelerate the ageing process and increase the risk of numerous lifestyle-related diseases. These powerful visual comparisons can make an impact far greater than statistics or medical textbooks ever could.
Although Body Worlds presents authentic human bodies, its purpose is not to shock. It is an exhibition about life - its extraordinary complexity, strength and beauty. For more than two decades, it has inspired millions of people around the world to take greater care of their health and make more conscious lifestyle choices.
As Dr. Angelina Whalley, curator of the exhibition, explains: "When visitors look at another human body, they are also looking at their own. What we eat, how we move and how we live leaves a mark on our bodies. The body is not only the foundation of our physical existence, but also a mirror of our choices."
The exhibition's creator, Dr. Gunther von Hagens, developed the plastination technique in 1977 at the University of Heidelberg, revolutionizing the way human anatomy could be presented and studied. Thanks to this groundbreaking technology, millions of people around the world have been able to explore the human body in a way that for many years was accessible almost exclusively to doctors and medical students.
Body Worlds - Vital is much more than an anatomy exhibition. It is a unique experience that invites visitors to see their own bodies from an entirely new perspective and realize that our health is, to a great extent, shaped by the choices we make every day. Many visitors leave the exhibition feeling more motivated to take care of themselves and with the realization that even small lifestyle changes can have a significant impact on both the length and quality of life.
Exhibition "Body Worlds - Vital"
27 August - 31 December; Poznań International Fair grounds, Hall 1, ul. Głogowska 18
for more, see: Body Wolds - Vital
materials made available by the organizer
© Wydawnictwo Miejskie Posnania 2026
