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Johannes Gutenberg

The pater familias of printing, 1394-1468, whose real name was Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden. He spent most of his life in Mainz, where he was also born and where he died.

Generally regarded as the inventor of printing in Mainz, Germany, in the 1440s. It is likely his actual invention was limited to the brass moulds and matrices to produce lead type accurately in large quantities. Some say that Laurens Koster in Haarlem probably made moveable type somewhat earlier. Gutenberg brought together many existing technologies in the form of the screw press, wood-engraving, and punchcutting already used in many aspects of metal-working. His goal was to emulate the writing of contemporary scribes. In 1449 he borrowed 800 guilders from a lawyer, Johann Fust, but had to borrow the same sum again in 1452 to continue with his preparations, whereupon Fust became a business partner. Gutenberg's main work, the 42-line Bible (the number of lines per page) was completed around 1455. At this point Fust was still owed money, and it seems that he bankrupted Gutenberg by foreclosing on the debt. He took over the business, removed Gutenberg, but kept on the foreman Peter Schoeffer as his partner. Together they went on to produce several fine works, and Mainz became known throughout Europe as the origin of printing.

Bitstream write-up. Gutenberg homepage. Image. His Bible Textura (1452-1455). Wood print of Gutenberg by Karl Mahr. Engraved portrait by A. Thevet (1584).

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