Johannes Gutenberg, the German craftsman and inventor who pioneered a method of printing from movable type, died on February 3, 1468 in Mainz. Johann Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg’s invention played a key role in advancing the Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment and the Protestant Reformation.

Gutenberg’s press was used to make the knowledge contained in books and literature more affordable and easily accessible. It was in his press that the first and most famous book in the Western world, the “42 Line Bible”, also known as the Bible, was created.

Beginning of life

Johannes Gutenberg was born somewhere between 1394 and 1404 in the German city of Maniz, but at the time of the 500th anniversary of the Gutenberg Festival, June 24, 1400 was decided as his “official birthday”. Johannes was the middle child of Friele Gensfleisch zur Laden and his second wife, Else Wyrich.

Much like his exact date of birth, parts of Gutenbver’s early life and upbringing are still unknown. This is mainly because during this period it was common for a person’s surname to be taken from the house or property they lived in, which meant that when you moved the names changed as well. . The only thing we know for sure is that Johannes lived in the Gutenberg house in Mainz.

In 1411, Gutenber was forced to leave and settle in Altavilla (Eltville am Rhein) due to an uprising of craftsmen against the aristocrats of Mainz. In Altavilla, they lived on an estate inherited from his mother, which many historians believe belonged to a family that had once belonged to the German nobility.

Gutenberg studied goldsmithing at the University of Erfurt, where records list names as JOhannes de Altavilla, historian Heinrich Wallau claims. We also know that he worked with his father as an apprentice goldsmith.

But after this period, the next 15 years of Gutenberg’s life, very similar to his early days, remain a mystery.

There is no record of him marrying or having children, but there are documents that show he was supposed to marry a woman from Strasbourg named Ennelin, but in the end he broke the promise and stayed. single.

Gutenberg’s printing press

By the early 1400s, European blacksmiths had become masters of woodblock printing and engraving, and Gutenberg was one of them. Gutenberg discovered the printing press during his stay in Strasbourg, when the blacksmiths opposite were experimenting with printing presses. But it was in 1440 that Gutenberg is believed to have revealed his printing secret in a book called “Aventur and Kunst” or Enterprise and Art. But whether he managed to create the mobile printer during this time is still unclear.

It was in 1448 that Gutenberg began to assemble his own printing press thanks to a loan from his brother-in-law. It took him two years to get his first press operation. He even took money from a wealthy moneylender named Johann Fust to help grow his business. One of the first successful projects he undertook was the printing of thousands of indulgences for the Catholic Church which gave instructions to reduce penance and to be forgiven for various sins.

It was in 1452 that Gutenberg joined forces with Fust to continue his printing experiments. He continued to refine the process until 1455, when he printed several copies of the Bible. Gutenberg’s Bible had 42 lines of type per page with color illustrations and consisted of three volumes of Latin text.

But his invention did not stay with him long, as he had to give the machine to Fust after asking Gutenberg to return the money he had invested. Later, a virtually bankrupt Gutenberg started a smaller printing press, but due to his blindness he gave up printing in 1460.

In 1465, the Archbishop of Mainz recognized Gutenberg and granted him the title of Hofmann, gentleman of the court. This provided him with an allowance and fine clothes, as well as 2,180 liters of grain and 2,000 liters of wine, all duty free.

He died on February 3, 1468 in Mainz. His grave was lost after World War II destroyed the church and cemetery.

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