The Times: Commentary

Johannes Gutenberg is thought to be born in the year of 1400, but the exact year is not known. Much of Gutenberg's life is not documented. Such holes in Johannes’ life were his childhood, teens, or young adult years. He was like a ghost throughout the 1420's and 1430's. The first detailed records of his existence as an adult were during his years as a printer.

The time period between the 12 and 15 hundreds was crucial to the birth of the modern world. During this time the world was emerging from the intellectual sleep of the dark ages to an awakening of culture. This rebirth of intellectual thought and culture was called the Renaissance. In this time people began to realize self-worth and, in turn, individual thought. The individual thought of this time broke of people and ultimately the sciences from religion. Before this time Religion was used a driving force in conformity and oppression. Due to this secular thought people began viewing the church as imperfect and corrupt.

The new view of the church as corrupt and unjust led a few key figures to try and reform the Catholic Church. This created a problem for the church since it claimed itself perfect in order to control the general population. The church declared that anyone that denies the church's purity is a heretic. By doing this the church was able to execute rebels on account of blasphemy. These almost guerilla tactics worked counter-productively since the  supposed heretics pointed out that the executions were unjust.

Another reason for the medieval time's near halt in innovation was the fact that literature was never written in vernacular. Vernacular is the language used by the masses. All books including the bible were written in Latin. This allowed for only learned and wealthy people to read. These people were the main problem in the corruptness of the church since they had power, but chose to be ignorant and allow the Church to spread propaganda and become all-powerful.

My Life: Introduction

My full name is Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg. This long name was typical of my time. This type of name was used to indicate my family, where I came from, and what type of family we were (patricians, aristocrats, nobles, etc.).

I have no intention of committing an act of gloating, but I have created one of the most revolutionary machines the world has ever seen. I have invented the first automated printer. It can print a book that a man would take years to print in less than a week. Ultimately it makes books easier and cheaper to make, which allows the price of books to decrease very rapidly making them more available to the general population. I haven't merely educated some people by making a few books in a very long period of time, but I have educated millions by making books more abundant and thrifty.

As a child I would marvel at the work of my father. He was a goldsmith for the bishop in my home town, Mainz. My family went on to becoming very prosperous in the field of goldsmithing. Now back to the conversation at hand, my father’s work greatly influenced my work in technical machines. This led me to a fascination in printing. Due to the fact that being a printer allowed me to work with moveable type, an amazing technical innovation of my time, I was content with my work. Although I had found my niche, there was something missing. This void, left to be filled by magnificent things, led me to inventing.

One may think that  the most important time in my life was when I was building the printing press. To that prospect I kindly interject, for there was a time before I was successful and I think that was the most critical time in my life. My true rite of passage was when my family and I were forced to move from my home in Mainz due to an uprising against Patricians, of which I am one. We moved to my mother's estate in Eltville am Rhein. This defining moment in my life jolted me forward into maturity.

In 1419 my beloved father passed. I attended the ceremony and received a hefty inheritance. I used the inheritance to fund my schooling and left for college.

Although the estate helped turn me into a man, around 1420 I moved to Strasburg. This move was fueled by my need to learn. I moved to Strasburg and studied in the University of Erfurt. The rest of my life until 1434 was like a haze of learning sprinkled with experimentation. Around the year of 1434 I enrolled myself in the Strasburg militia as a goldsmith. For the next few years I worked with gems and rare crystals. This consisted mostly of instructing the rich on how to polish and maintain gems. Then we come to my love, Ennelin, to whom I promised marriage, but was never able to actually marry her.

Although the estate helped turn me into a man, around 1420 I moved to Strasburg. This move was feuled by my need to learn. I moved to Strasburg and studied in the University of Erfurt. The rest of my life until 1434 was like a haze of learning sprinkled with experimentation. Around the year of 1434 I enrolled myself in the Strasburg militia as a goldsmith. For the next few years I worked with gems and rare crystals. This consisted mostly of instructing the rich on how to polish and maintain gems. Then we come to my love, Ennelin, to whom I promised marriage, but was never able to actually marry her.