Johannes+Gutenberg

By HARRISON BACHMAN
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Johann Gutenberg - German inventor - He was the youngest son of Friele Gensfleisch zur Laden, who was an upperclass merchant. -Around 1439, Gutenberg was involved in a financial misadventure making polished metal mirrors, which were believed to capture holy light from religious relics - He lived in Strasbourg in his teen years. - Recongnized for inventing the printing press. - In early years of his life he was a goldsmith. - He lived in Mainz, which is an historic city in Germany. - In about 1428, his family was exiled as a result of a revolt of the craftsmen against the nobile class ruling the town - The Printing Press is a mechanism by which small metal pieces engraved with single letters could be arranged to form words and sentences. - By 1450, he was known to have had a printing plant. - To start his business, he borrowed eight hundred guilders, which is a type of money, to buy tools and equitment. He borrowed the money from Johann Fust, who was a rich fianancer. - Gutenberg and Fust's relationship went down hill when Fust sued him two-thousand guilders. - In 1455, Fust won the court battle and Gutenberg was ordered to turn all his materials and tools back to Gutenberg - Gutenberg's printshop was said to have contained as many as six printing presses - Historians believe he printed the Vulgate, the official Latin translation of the Bible - The Gutenberg Bible, also called The Mazarin Bible was a 42 line Bible. It was finished in Mainz and probably took about 3 years to complete from 1452-1455. - The Bible is about 1280 pages and the text is laid out in two columns



- Gutenberg did not receive credit on much of his work, especially the Vulgate which he was the main creator of - In 1463, Fust's printing office was set on fire and a lot of his and Gutenberg's work's were lossed, Guttenburg was then forced to poverty - In 1465, he asked the court for a sinecure. He was granted it later that year and received a salary. - He continued his printing activities but work from this time period is unknown due to the lack of identification. - He became blind in his last months. He continued to live in Mainz until his death in 1468. - He died in Saint Victor's parish in Mainz and was buried in the church of the Franciscan convent in Germany. - His work of inventing the printing press has influenced the way people have lived in the fifthteenth century in Northern and Western Europe. - The invention changed the different methods people have been making books and guaranteed that information could be reproduced accurately, quickly and cheaply. - History records that his poverty years were spent in the court of Archbishop Adolf of Nassau. - The printing presses he made were made out of wood - People in the 1990's ranked Gutenberg #1 as the most important person of the Millennium. - Gutenberg's workshop was set up at Hof Humbrecht, a property belonging to a distant relative. - It is said that he printed a large Catholicon Dictionary. It is said that he printed off 300 copies of 744 pages. - Sources say the first thng printed off in his press was a German poem. - Gutenberg's achievements were recognized and he was given the title //Hofmann// (gentleman of the court) by von Nassau of Germany. This honour included a stipend, an annual court outfit, as well as 2180 liters of grain and 2000 liters of wine tax-free. [|www.Wikipedia.org] [|http://www.ideafinder.com] McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography 5 Renaissance and Reformation Bigraphies Vol. 1 A-K
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Johann Gutenberg was born around the time of 1398. He was born to an upper class servant named Friele Gensfleisch zur Laden. He was the youngest son and was born in the German city of Mainz. He lived in Strasbourg in his teen years and he was a goldsmith. In 1428 his family was exiled as a result of the craftsmen against the nobles class ruling the city. At around 1439, he was involved in a financial scandal, which people believed he made polished metal mirrors that captured holy light from religious relics. By the end of 1450, Gutenberg was said to have started a printing plant business. To start his business, he borrowed money (800 guilders) from Johann Fust, a rich financer. With the 800 guilders, he bought the tools and equipment he needed to start his own business. The plant was thought to be in the city of Strasbourg. There he created the printing press, a machine made out of wood with small metal pieces and engraved letters that could be ordered to form words and sentences. There was said to be six printing presses in his plant. The first thing printed at his plant was a German poem. He printed the Gutenberg Bible, also called the Mazarin Bible. This Bible was 1280 pages and was sorted out in two columns. This was Gutenberg's biggest accomplishment and probably took three years to complete. He also printed the Vulgate, which was a version of his Bible translated in Latin. At first, Gutenberg was not given the credit for printing the Vulgate. Records indicate that he made a large Catholic Dictionary. This dictionary included 744 pages and he printed off about 300 copies of it. Gutenberg and Fust didn't get along too well. Fust sued him 2,000 guilders and brought the matter to court. In 1455, Fust won the court battle and Gutenberg was ordered to give back all the supplies he had bought with Fust's guilders. In 1463, Gutenberg's printing plant was set on fire. All his work and documents were lost. After the drama of his printing plant, he hit a stage of poverty but still was about to produce some work. The work of this time was unknown due to the lack of identification. In 1465, he asked the court for a sinecure. He was granted it and then received a salary later that year. He was still in the poverty level until his death in 1468. In his final months still living, he became blind. He died in Saint Victors parish in Mainz and was buried in the church of a Franciscan convent in Germany. Gutenberg's achievements were recognized and he was given the title //Hofmann // (gentleman of the court) by von Nassau of Germany. People have ranked Gutenberg's accomplishment as the number one most important person of the millennium. Without his accomplishment, the World would be lost when it comes to printing books and papers, for he is the beginner of the printing era.