Johannes GUTENBERG

Johannes Gutenberg was born in Mainz, in the Holy romain — afficher la définition INF004 Germanic Empire, around 1400. The exact date of his birth is not known with certainty. Some historical documents suggest that he was born between 1394 and 1404. A symbolic date, 24 June 1400, was chosen during the 500th anniversary of the Gutenberg festival in Mainz in 1900, but it remains purely indicative.

The details about Johannes Gutenberg's training and studies are rather limited because of the lack of precise historical documents. However, we know that he was born into a wealthy family of Mainz, where his father was a goldsmith and cloth merchant. This suggests that he probably received a good education and may have been introduced to craft techniques from a young age.

It is possible that he studied at the University of Erfurt, but this remains speculative. His experience in goldsmithing and engraving probably enabled him to acquire the skills needed to develop metal movable type and the hand press.

Despite these uncertainties, it is undeniable that Gutenberg knew how to combine his technical knowledge and his ingenuity to revolutionize the production of books and the spread of knowledge.

Johannes Gutenberg died on 3 February 1468 in Mainz, his native city. He was buried at the Franciscan monastery of Mainz. His old age was marked by financial difficulties, but he was saved from poverty by Count Adolf II of Nassau, who granted him a lifelong pension and the title of gentleman of his court.

Gutenberg's work was financed by a banker, Johann Fust.

Johann Fust — show definition INF084

Johann Fust asked Gutenberg for his money back because the printing work was taking much more time and money than expected. Gutenberg had borrowed 800 florins from Fust in 1450, the equivalent of 420,000 euros today, and took out another loan of 800 florins in 1452 to finance his experiments. However, despite these investments, the printing of the Gutenberg Bible was progressing very slowly.

In 1455, Fust, who had become impatient and worried that he would not recover his funds, demanded repayment of the debt. The lawsuit between Johannes Gutenberg and Johann Fust took place in November 1455. Unable to repay the demanded sum of 2,026 florins, equivalent to more than a million euros, Gutenberg lost the case. As a result, Fust took over the printing workshop and equipment, leaving Gutenberg ruined.

This lawsuit marked a turning point in Gutenberg's life, but he was saved from poverty by Count Adolf II of Nassau, who granted him a lifelong pension and the title of gentleman of his court.

This event was a major setback for Gutenberg, but it also marked the beginning of the large-scale production of printed books thanks to his technological advances.

Johannes Gutenberg's printing technique rested on several key innovations that revolutionized the production of books. Here is a detailed description of his method:

1. Movable Metal Type

Gutenberg developed movable metal type, which made it possible to set and reset text quickly. These characters were made of an alloy of lead, tin and antimony, durable enough to be used many times.

2. Hand Mold

To create the characters, Gutenberg designed a hand mold, an innovation that made it possible to produce identical characters in large quantities. This ensured consistency and legibility in the printed texts.

3. Special Ink

He also developed an oil-based ink that was more viscous than the water-based inks used for manuscripts. This ink was better suited to printing on paper or parchment and produced sharper impressions.

4. Printing Press

Gutenberg adapted a screw press, similar to those used for pressing grapes or olives, for printing. This press made it possible to apply an even and sufficient pressure to transfer the ink from the metal characters to the paper.

5. Composition and Printing

The metal characters were arranged in a frame to form pages. Once the characters were in place, ink was applied, and a sheet of paper was pressed against the inked characters to print the page. The printed pages were then dried and bound to form a book.

6. Multiple Print Runs

One of Gutenberg's main innovations was the ability to produce several identical copies of a book in a short time. Once the characters were assembled and the press prepared, it was possible to print hundreds, even thousands of copies, much more quickly than by copying by hand.

Thanks to this technique, Gutenberg was able to print the famous 42-line Bible, also known as the Gutenberg Bible, between 1452 and 1455. This invention not only revolutionized the production of books, but also facilitated the spread of knowledge and ideas across Europe.

This man began his work without any pre-existing model, thus illustrating his ability to show creativity and innovation starting from nothing.

The handwritten copy of the Bible, known as the Vulgate, required more than a year of painstaking work. Gutenberg managed to print the Vulgate in about three years, from 1452 to 1455, which included preparing the frames with the letters, printing, cutting the pages and making the final book.

The following copies took less than a week of work and did not require the same concentration as that of the copyists.

By the end of the fourth copy, which therefore required a little over three years of work, Gutenberg was reaching times equivalent to those of handwritten copies. From the fifth printing onward, it becomes relevant to compare the time required for a handwritten copy, which was more than a year, with that for a mechanical copy made by Gutenberg, which lasted only a week, in order to grasp the significant advance of this invention.

Printing therefore revolutionized the production of books, making texts accessible to a greater number of people in a much shorter time.

The Vulgate — show definition INF068

The innovation introduced by Gutenberg considerably facilitated the serial reproduction of documents, thus reducing the risk of transcription errors. After a meticulous preparation of the first volume, copies were produced at a speed that was remarkable for the time. This technological advance allowed a secure and reliable transmission of the Bible as well as other literary works, thus contributing to the expansion of knowledge.

Johannes Gutenberg's invention of printing had profound and lasting consequences for European and world society. Here are some of the main consequences:

Rapid spread of knowledge: Printing allowed the rapid reproduction of books in large quantities, which facilitated the spread of knowledge and ideas. This contributed to the Renaissance and the Modern Era by making access to information broader and faster.
Reduced costs: Before Gutenberg's invention, books were copied by hand, which was a long and costly process. Printing made it possible to produce books at lower cost, making books more accessible to a greater number of people.
Education and literacy: The increased availability of books stimulated education and literacy. People could learn to read and write more easily, which had a significant impact on society.
Réforme protestante — afficher la définition INF016 : Printing played a crucial role in the Réforme protestante — afficher la définition INF016. Martin Luther used the printing press to spread his 95 theses, which contributed to the rapid spread of his ideas and the rise of Protestantism.
Development of the press: The invention of printing also led to the development of the press and the birth of newspapers. This allowed news and information to spread more quickly.
Cultural impact: Printing allowed the preservation and dissemination of literature, scientific works and religious texts, thus enriching culture and human knowledge.

In summary, Gutenberg's invention of printing revolutionized the production and distribution of books, with major repercussions for education, religion, culture and society in general.

Copies of the Gutenberg Bible still exist! About 49 copies are known today. These copies are scattered in libraries and private collections around the world. Two of the most famous are kept at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) and at the Vatican.

The BnF has even digitized one of its copies in high resolution, making this work accessible online through Gallica. It is fascinating to think that these books, printed more than 500 years ago, are still legible and available to researchers and lovers of rare books.