What was Johannes Gutenberg like as a person?

We know very little about Johannes Gutenberg's personality. Most of what we know about him is based on business disputes, and on tax and legal records. Even basic facts like the year of his birth are missing. Gutenberg was born in Mainz, Germany, probably around 1397-1400, the youngest son of a well-off merchant. read more

We know very little about Johannes Gutenberg's personality. Most of what we know about him is based on business disputes, and on tax and legal records. Even basic facts like the year of his birth are missing. Gutenberg was born in Mainz, Germany, probably around 1397-1400, the youngest son of a well-off merchant. read more

Johannes Gutenberg was born circa 1395, in Mainz, Germany. He started experimenting with printing by 1438. In 1450 Gutenberg obtained backing from the financier, Johann Fust, whose impatience and other factors led to Gutenberg's loss of his establishment to Fust several years later. read more

Two operas based on Gutenberg are G, Being the Confession and Last Testament of Johannes Gensfleisch, also known as Gutenberg, Master Printer, formerly of Strasbourg and Mainz, from 2001 with music by Gavin Bryars; and La Nuit de Gutenberg, with music by Philippe Manoury, premiered in 2011 in Strasbourg. read more