Moving backward through time – in a European epoch before Shakespeare, before Henry VIII and his six wives, before the Protestant Reformation – there was nothing at all.

Johannes Gutenberg

Kidding. But most people, apart from historians and scholars, aren’t as familiar with European history before the 16^th century. This is due in part to the lack of documentation that existed at the time. Documentation that did exist was generally handwritten and eventually lost or unreadable – this is something that changed after Johannes Gutenberg’s time due to his unique invention…but we must start at the beginning of the story.

Enter Gutenberg: the inventor of the printing press. This tale is filled with secrets, lawsuits, substantial investments and debts, and creative genius.

Gutenberg’s time, in the middle of the European Renaissance, was a period of cultural, political, and economic rebirth after the Middle Ages (which began around the year 500, but the definitive “end” is debated).

Much of Gutenberg’s childhood is unknown, as very little surviving information exists. As an adult, Gutenberg moved from Mainz, Germany to Strasbourg, France sometime between 1428 and 1430. He was an established craftsman by then, mainly cutting gems and teaching pupils.

What we do know is that in 1438, a contract was drawn up between Gutenberg and his business partners. These three men (Hans Riffe, Andreas Dritzehn, and Andreas Heilmann) had invested considerable amounts of money in Gutenberg and knew he was keeping one project a secret. The partners were insisting that, because they had advanced Gutenberg money, they were entitled to become partners in this secret project as well.

Rendering of what Gutenberg and the press may have looked like

A clause in this contract stated that if one partner were to die, his heirs would not enter the company as a partner but would be entitled to financial compensation. When Andreas Dritzehn died at the end of 1438 (the same year the contract was signed), his heir attempted to circumvent the contract and sued Gutenberg, demanding to be made a partner in his enterprise. The heir ultimately lost, but in the legal proceedings, aspects of Gutenberg’s hidden project were revealed.

Witnesses testified that a carpenter had built a wooden press, and a goldsmith had sold over 100 guilders’ worth of printing materials to Gutenberg. Gutenberg was well on his way to completing his invention and was anxious to keep the project a secret.

The next few years are mostly undocumented, but Gutenberg reappears in 1450 in Mainz, receiving substantial sums from a wealthy financier named Johann Fust. With a total of 1600 guilders advanced to Gutenberg’s project, Fust was expecting a quick return on his investment. But, Gutenberg was aiming for perfection – not timeliness.

Gutenberg was creating his first masterpiece, a Bible printed with his invention – a printing press that utilized movable type. This Bible, now referred to as the Gutenberg Bible, was completed by 1455 at the latest.

Gutenberg Bible on permanent display at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC

But, in 1455, an impatient Fust sued Gutenberg and won, ordering Gutenberg to pay back the 1600 guilders loan with compounded interest. Unfortunately, Fust also gained control of the type for the Bible, Gutenberg’s next project, and most of his printing materials.

Fust continued to print using Gutenberg’s materials. The first printed book in European history to bear the name of its printer is a Psalter (a book of Psalms) completed in 1457, which lists Johann Fust and an employee pilfered from Gutenberg, Peter Schöffer.

The Psalter is a magnificent work, highly decorated and masterfully created. It was Gutenberg’s genius behind the creation, though he was not credited upon publication. Scholars believe Gutenberg’s dedication to the engravings and decorations for the Psalter were what slowed his progress upon receiving the initial loan, increasing Fust’s exasperation and malice.

After Gutenberg lost his printing materials, it is believed he may have gone on to print other work, but nothing at the same caliber of the previously mentioned masterpieces. His financial status in the final years of his life has been debated, but it’s likely he wasn’t completely destitute.

Gutenberg’s story is one of betrayal and money – maybe one you might not imagine taking place so long ago. Now that you’re familiar, be sure to check out Gutenberg! The Musical! at the Garner Galleria Theatre through May 4, 2025. In this spoof, two aspiring playwrights pitch a hilariously ill-advised project – a big, splashy musical about Johannes Gutenberg.

But, after reading this history, maybe the project isn’t so hilariously ill-advised?