Johannes Gutenberg – 10 Unknown Facts about His Press, Inventions, and Life!

  • AUTHOR: admin
  • POSTED ON: April 14, 2021

Google has dedicated a doodle to Johannes Gutenberg, the
person responsible for introducing printing to Europe with his revolutionary
invention: the mechanical movable type printing press. He made knowledge found
in books accessible and affordable to the people, and it is hence considered as
the most important event in history.


Celebrating Johannes Gutenberg


Born in 1400, Johannes Gutenberg was a German goldsmith,
printer, inventor and publisher who is credited for imagining the print machine
around 1436.


But even before then, people in China used woodblock
printing method that dates back to the ninth-century. Even Koreans used to have
a movable metal type device for printing – a century before Gutenberg invented
the proper machine.


However, many historians consider Gutenberg’s method of
printing— which used a screw kind of wine press for crushing down on the inked
metal type uniformly— as a most significant event that paved the way for a new
print revolution.


With the newly invented method of mass printing of books at
a relatively low cost, valuable knowledge and progressive thoughts were brought
in the hands of every capable European, marking a significant role in the
development of the Renaissance a.k.a. the age of Enlightenment.


But, do you know, Gutenberg didn’t have the chance to enjoy
the fame of his invention in his lifetime. Actually, it was centuries after his
death when he was finally appreciated and recognized as the most influential
man in history. But back then, he was considered to be a normal inventor with
an unusual invention.


Today marks the day when the Gutenberg Museum held a
retrospective exhibition in his honor in 2000. Let’s take a look at 10 unknown
facts about Gutenberg’s press, inventions, and life:


Gutenberg
didn’t get any profitable benefits from his invention

Johannes Gutenberg - Wikipedia


Unfortunately, Gutenberg didn’t live long enough to see the
influence his invention has had on printing revolution. With the help of his
invention, Gutenberg completed the copies of the Bible in Latin, which took
around three years to print 200 copies, a significant achievement in the time
of hand-written copies.


But despite that, he didn’t get any financial profit, as
only three people in town knew how to read that time. Gutenberg survived with
his limited finances, and died pennilessly.


B42 was
the first important book imprinted in the West using Gutenberg’s creation

Gutenberg Bible - Wikipedia


The most significant book printed using movable-type press
machine was the Gutenberg Bible, also known as the 42-line Bible, or the
Mazarin Bible (the B42). 48 substantially complete copies of the first version
are still known to survive this day, two of which are preserved in the British
Library that can also be read and viewed online.


Gutenberg’s
invention was so extraordinary that local people called it witchcraft

7 Ways the Printing Press Changed the World - HISTORY


Gutenberg used to lend from a man named Johann Fust, whose
name is translated into Faustus in Latin. The invention of a printing machine
was so astounding and unusual that local people blamed Fust for black magic.
Part of the reason of this assumption is that Gutenberg used red ink to print
the bible, leading people to speculate whether it was written with human blood.


Printing
Press had a handmade ‘”type”

The Invention and History of the Printing Press


All the movable types used in printing press, including
accentuation, letter structures and spaces were all handmade. Only a few
printers used their own typefaces, similar to text styles.


A number of these text styles have yet to be utilized in
today’s age. For example, Garamond is found on several computers, a text style
named after a printer from France, Claude Garamond.


Oil-based
ink is used in the printing press


Gutenberg was also credited for inventing an oil-based ink
for printing, as it was more sustainable than the previously used water-based
ink. The medium he used for printing was both vellum and paper.


He used shading printing for a bunch of page headings in his
Bible, which was also presented only in a few specific copies. In later works,
for example, in Mainz Psalter of 1453, the initials were printed in red and
blue ink.


Gutenberg’s
invention encouraged the spread of awareness, information, knowledge and
progressive ideas

Johannes Gutenberg - Printing Press, Inventions & Facts - Biography


Gutenberg’s invention played a key role in the foundation of
various scientific communities, as it made knowledge found in books accessible
and affordable to the common people. This encouraged people to come up with
revolutionary ideas, inventions and theories for the betterment of humanity.


Gutenberg
died single

Johannes Gutenberg - Printing Press, Inventions & Facts - Biography


There are no definite records that Gutenberg ever got married
or had any children. After his father’s death in 1419, his family moved to
Mainz and Johannes stayed in his hometown for some time. There are not much
details about Gutenberg’s whereabouts after his father’s death.


By 1434, Gutenberg was believed to be residing in the city
of Strasbourg, a place well-known for mental crafts. Once a woman named
Ellewibel zur Isemin Thure filed a case against Gutenberg for breaking the promise
of marrying her daughter, Ennelin. We don’t know how that case ended, but it’s
certain Gutenberg neither got married nor had any children.


The
Archbishop of Mainz gave Gutenberg the tile of Hofmann

Gutenberg Museum - Wikipedia


There was an intense conflict in the city for the throne of
the Archbishop of Main in 1461-62. Archbishop Adolph von Nassau sacked Mainz,
and Gutenberg was forced to leave the city. He stayed in the Eltville town
before returning to his hometown. By January 1464, Gutenberg’s achievements
began to get recognized and he was given the title Hofmann (gentleman of the
court) by Archbishop Adolph von Nassau. The title also offered him a stipend,
an annual court outfit, along with 2,180 liters of grain and 2,000 liters of
tax-free wine.


Johannes Gutenberg died on 3rd February, 1463 and
was laid to rest in the Franciscan church at his hometown Mainz. Thank you,
Johannes Gutenberg, for your contribution!


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Updated April 14, 2021
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