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 book is a vessel of truth.
I have made the world a smaller place, through the spread of ideas.
The printing press is a testament to perseverance.
Through my work, the voices of many will be heard.
The printed word is a legacy for generations to come.
I have given the world a new instrument of progress.
The art of printing is a beacon of hope.
My invention will empower the individual.
The printed book is a treasure chest of knowledge.
I have laid the foundation for a new era of learning.
The press is the art of multiplying wisdom by the power of ink.
In the silence of the workshop, ideas take form and fly on wings of paper.
Knowledge once chained to manuscripts now roams free for all.
The movable type is the key that unlocks the mind's vast library.
What the hand writes slowly, the press etches eternally.
Invention is the child of necessity, nursed by patience.
Books are the ships that sail the seas of time.
The ink of the scholar is worth more than the blood of the warrior.
To print is to preserve the soul's whisper against oblivion.
Typefaces are the faces of thought, each letter a silent voice.