How Did Johannes Gutenberg Influence The Printing Press

Johannes Gutenberg has been regarded as one of the most influential and innovative figures in all of human history. Much of what has happened since his life has been thanks in some part to him; the fall of serfdom, the landed gentry, education of the masses and many social movements. The Protestant Reformation would have likely fizzled out if it had not been for the affordable and easily produced literature that spread Martin Luther’s word. It is rather surprising to learn that, despite this major contribution to history, that Guttenberg was never financially comfortable. In fact, he found himself in court many times over financial deals that went bad. Perhaps the most devastating trial was that involving his partner in business, and moneylender, Johanne Fust. Gutenberg’s printing press contributed to the ability to disseminate information and literature at a rate infinitely faster than in the past, enduring that for the first time in history, man could be relatively certain that the innovations and progress of his generation wouldn’t be lost to time. Gutenberg “poured more than twenty years of his life into his printing press.” (Rees) While there were improvements made to his design over the years, his invention played a significant role in education
Gutenberg grew up in a wealthy family of landowners and statesmen. His father and uncle worked at the ecclesiastic mint in Mainz. As was the custom in those days, Johannes more or less inherited a position at the mint as well. During his tenure there, he honed his skills and became a rather talented metal worker. He gained valuable knowledge about metals, temperature, casting, and presses. It is unknown how long he worked at the mint. In 1411 there was a time of political unrest in Mainz resulting in the Gutenberg family being forced to move along with hundreds of other families. Johannes moved to