How Did Johannes Gutenberg Influence The Printing Press

453 Words1 Page

I am writing about Johannes Gutenberg and his invention, the printing press. The printing press was one of the most important inventions of modern time. Without it, we wouldn’t have as many books as we do today. People can’t talk about the printing press without mentioning its inventor, Johannes Gutenberg.

Johannes Gutenberg was born around the year 1398 in Mainz, Germany into a rich family, connected by marriage to the mayor of the town. His father, Friele, and his uncle were officials at the Archbishop’s mint. Due to these connections, Gutenberg didn’t have to serve as an apprentice in the mint which meant that when he finished his training in metalworking he was free to leave. After his father’s death in the year 1428, Gutenberg left his home of Mainz and made a new home for himself in Strasbourg, where he would remain for nearly 20 years.

Instead of making his printing press out of wood blocks, Gutenberg made it out of metal. This printing press was known as a “movable type machine,” since letters could be moved around to make new words and sentences. With this machine, Johannes Gutenberg made the very first printed book, which was a naturally reproduced version of the Bible. As of today, the Gutenberg Bible is an incredibly valuable, treasured item for its historical legacy. …show more content…

The majority of books have been written in Latin, the considered language of scholarship. During the Renaissance, the educated middle classes, who were able to afford books, demanded works in their own languages. As a result, readers wanted a greater variety of books. Almanacs, travel books, chivalry romances, and works of poetry were all published during the Renaissance. Simultaneously, a means of printing music was invented as well, making music available for a reasonable

Open Document