View the visual part of this Pictorial essay in a separate postThe EssayJohann Gutenberg was one of the greatest contributors to the development of typographic form of all time. He brought to life the invention of the printing press, and catapulted the spread of the written word around the world. Some say that the idea of the press came from China, but the important part is that Gutenberg actually implemented it. He did most of his work in Germany during the first half of fifteenth century. His path was long and difficult, and it took Gutenberg almost 20 years to produce first printed page. There is very little historical evidence about Gutenberg’s life and creative process, which makes it an intriguing subject to understand his motivations and his inventive journey.
Johann (or Johannes, the spelling varied) Gutenberg was born in Mainz, Germany. His exact birth date is unknown, and is agreed to be the year 1400. Even the well-known name Gutenberg was originally Gensfleisch (Gooseflesh). The family names of the time were taken after the place of residence, which makes “genealogical research in medieval Germany a nightmare”. Perhaps the name Gutenberg was not immediately adapted due to the mood of anti- Semitism in Mainz, since Gutenberg might have also been Judenberg or “Jewish Hill”.
Gutenberg was born into a wealthy family, one of about a hundred patrician families in Mainz. As a result, the importance of education was instilled into Johann from the early age. Gutenberg attended various schools, possibly including St. Christopher and St. Victor. His later studies were at Erfurt, where he obtained solid knowledge of Latin. While at Erfurt, Gutenberg earned his keep as a scribe, which meant that he gained full command of the scribe profession. This knowledge set the stage for his later work with the printing press.
Gutenberg’s developmental years were spent under the influence of the Church. He showed talents for singing; he had a steady hand of a scribe, and was pushed to become a priest. However his personal passions were for works of science and handcraft. Gutenberg could not join the Mainz guilds due to his family’s patrician status. Instead, in 1428 he left Mainz to travel around Europe and to learn the skills of metalworkers and goldsmiths. After six years of travels in 1434 Gutenberg settled in the city of Strassburg, where he established numerous enterprises, including manufacturing mirrors for Aachen pilgrimage planned for 1440. These mirrors were made of lead-tin alloy, which signifies that at this time Gutenberg already possessed the knowledge of metal casting, and he experimented with different alloy formulas. Gutenberg contemplated the idea of the printing press for many years, watching craftsmen during his travels. It is likely that one of the most influential inspirations came from observing the workings of a wine press.
Johann Gutenberg was a deeply religious man, however, to him the Bible did not have the conventional meaning taught by the Church. He observed inefficiencies in the lives of ordinary people, and he aspired to ease their labor by means of science. He also thought that the teachings of God and literacy should be accessible to every one, hence his fist printing effort of Donatus, Latin grammar book. Gutenberg’s later ambition to reproduce the Bible was to print “The Book” without the usual errors that scribes let in. He “sought to correct such error – in metal, books should read as God intended”.
Around 1448 Gutenberg returned to Mainz, where he spent the next seven years refining the printing process. It is likely that Gutenberg began his experiments with printing while at Strassburg, but he kept his work under a strict secret for fear of someone stealing it. Gutenberg realized the enormous profit potential of the printing press, and he did not want anyone beating him to it. In 1448 he borrowed 800 gulden from Johann Fust without interest, with printing equipment as security for the loan. This money Gutenberg used to finally set up his print shop and commence dedicated work on the printing press. By 1450s Gutenberg was advanced enough in his process to print indulgences and calendars for the Church. However, the work was laborious and slow to progress, and in 1452 he had to borrow another 800 gulden from Fust.
Gutenberg tried various combinations of lead, tin and antimony to produce type that did not break or bend (the formula he developed is still used today almost unaltered). He also experimented with ink, so it didn’t roll off the metal type, yet didn’t cling to it in clumps. In addition, Gutenberg accepted nothing short of perfection when it came to typesetting the pages. His 42-line Bible was printed in two columns with impeccable alignment of the edges, and he pioneered the process of double-sided printing. It is no surprise that in 1455 the Bible was not finished, and Fust took Gutenberg to court demanding return of the funds. After loosing the legal battle, Gutenberg was forced out of his print shop. His accomplishments, however, were acknowledged by the bishop of Mainz. He was made a courtier, and he spent his last years in financial security, receiving food, wine and clothing from the city.
Johann Gutenberg died on February 3rd 1468 in Mainz, but his name and invention live on to this day. By the end of fifteenth century more than 110 towns in Europe were operating printing presses and about 15 million copies of books were printed. One example of the impact of printing is the story of Martin Luther. His “95 Theses”, which sparked the Protestant Reformation, spread so rapidly due to the existence of printing. It is unlikely that the Protestant Reformation would have happened, had the “95 Theses” been written by hand. This abundance of printed material and the power of written word started a new era in the development of humanity, and shifted people from the Middle Ages to modern times.
