Civilization Axis

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Invention of the Printing Press

1454 CE

Historical illustration: Invention of the Printing Press
Historical illustration: Invention of the Printing Press

Gutenberg prints the first Bible with movable type.

Historical Context

In 15th-century Europe, books were copied by hand by monks (manuscripts). This process was slow, extremely expensive, and restricted knowledge to a tiny ecclesiastical and noble elite.

The Event

In Mainz around 1440, goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg perfected the use of movable metal type, oil-based ink, and a hand press (inspired by the wine press). In 1455, he completed the 42-line Bible.

Key Figures

Johannes Gutenberg, Johann Fust (financier), Peter Schöffer (apprentice typographer).

Aftermath

The price of books collapsed. Knowledge was massively democratized. The printing press made possible the Scientific Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and later, the Enlightenment.

Legacy & Culture

This was the first information revolution. Gutenberg pulled Europe out of the Middle Ages, enabling the emergence of critical thinking and mass culture.

Historiography

While Gutenberg invented the mechanical press, historians note that movable type was invented in China (by Bi Sheng in the 11th century) and Korea (Jikji, 1377), though their use remained limited.

Sources and References

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La Bible à quarante-deux lignes de Gutenberg (B42)

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Le Psautier de Mayence (1457)

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Lettre d'Enea Silvio Piccolomini décrivant l'invention

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Archives de la ville de Mayence (Actes notariés)

Reliability index : ★★★★★

Semantic cluster

Inventions & technology cluster

Writing, printing, penicillin, Moon, Web: humanity’s technical accelerations.

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