Gutenberg and the First Printing Press
Description
1450—Mayence—Johannes Gutenberg has been working on creating a printing press for more than two years. After a not entirely successful demonstration, he tries to persuade the wealthy banker Johann Fust to help finance his project. Fust agrees and lends Gutenberg 800 florins, plus 300 florins per annum for general expenses—a considerable sum for the period. The two men become partners. Fust and Gutenberg’s choice of the first work to be printed is an astute one: Saint Jerome’s Latin version of the Bible. It enjoys an immediate and resounding success. Gutenberg then perfects the various elements that make up his invention. He improves the hand press, movable print characters in a suitable alloy, special ink... These inventions mean knowledge can be disseminated much more rapidly. They revolutionize European civilization and open the way for the Renaissance and the development of Humanism.
Runtime
26 min 0 sec
Series
Subjects
- Civilization, Medieval (95)
- Renaissance (109)
- Reformation (106)
- World history (1846)
- Middle Ages (85)
Geography
Database
Films on Demand
Direct Link
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