Gutenberg, Johannes
A German inventor who introduced mechanical movable type printing to Europe, initiating the printing revolution.
Most quoted
"Yes, it is a press, certainly, but a press from which shall flow in inexhaustible streams, the most abundant and most marvelous liquor that has ever flowed to relieve the thirst of men! Through it, God will spread His Word. A spring of truth shall flow from it: like a new star it shall scatter the darkness of ignorance, and cause a new light to shine upon mankind."
— from Attributed
"Yes, it is a press, certainly, but a press from which shall flow in inexhaustible streams, the most abundant and most marvelous liquor that has ever flowed to relieve the thirst of men! Through it, God will spread His Word. A spring of truth shall flow from it: like a new star it will scatter the darkness of ignorance, and cause a new light to shine among men."
— from Attributed, likely apocryphal but reflects his motivations, 1450
"God suffers in the multitude of souls whom His word can not reach. Religious truth is imprisoned in a few manuscripts which guard the treasure, instead of diffusing it. Let us break the seal which holds the word of God; let us give wings to truth, that it may speed from soul to soul, from town to town, from kingdom to kingdom."
— from Attributed
All quotes by Gutenberg, Johannes (379)
The printed word is a lasting monument to human thought.
The greatest invention is that which brings knowledge to the common man.
To spread the word is to spread the light.
The printing press is a tool for liberation.
In every printed page, there is a piece of eternity.
The true beauty of a book lies not just in its words, but in the knowledge it imparts.
The act of reading is a journey into the mind of another.
Through books, the dead speak to the living.
The printing press makes all men equal in their access to knowledge.
A book is a window to the soul.
The pursuit of knowledge is the noblest of all human endeavors.
The printed word is a testament to the enduring spirit of humanity.
To read is to live many lives.
The greatest legacy we can leave is the knowledge we share.
The truth, once printed, cannot be unprinted.
Books are the food of the mind.
The printing press is a miracle that allows us to transcend time and space.
The human desire for knowledge is insatiable, and printing feeds it.
Every letter printed is a step towards enlightenment.
The world is changed by example, not by opinion. But opinion, once printed, can become example.