German physician and SS officer, the ‘Angel of Death’ at Auschwitz
Dr. Gunther von Hagens, inventor of plastination and creator of Body Worlds, has died at 81 after a cerebral haemorrhage following a Parkinson’s diagnosis. His death comes as Body Worlds remains a global, controversial phenomenon in anatomy and public spectacle.
Swiss authorities release previously sealed documents on Josef Mengele after a court ruling, revealing police materials suggesting he may have returned to Switzerland or planned entry under an alias. The papers, compiled by the federal prosecutor’s office, were sealed until 2071 before being published online with redactions. Historians have long sought access to these records.
Laws passed in California and the US Congress have strengthened claims to artwork looted during the Holocaust. Two lawsuits have been filed in Los Angeles—one against the Norton Simon Museum for Cranach’s Adam and Eve, and another on behalf of the late Dinah Gottliebova Babbitt’s heirs for watercolors from Auschwitz—arguing for restitution.