Gutenberg, JOHANNES

Gutenberg, JOHANNES, or HENNE, who is regarded by the Germans as the inventor of the art of employing movable types in printing, was born about 1400 at Mainz. He was apparently the illegitimate son of a canon named Gensfleisch, and so adopted his mother's family name. In 1434 he was living in Strasburg, and seems to have been well known as a man of considerable mechanical skill, who taught stone-cutting, mirror-polishing, and similar arts. When and where he made his first attempts in the art of printing cannot with certainty be ascertained. Some time between 1444 and 1448 he returned to Mainz, where, in 1449 or 1450, he entered into partnership with Johannes Faust or Fust, a wealthy goldsmith, who furnished the money required to set up a printing-press. This partnership was, however, dissolved after the lapse of a few years (1455), Faust bringing an action at law against Gutenberg to recover the sums he had advanced. In consequence of the legal verdict Faust retained the printing concern, and carried it on in conjunction with Peter Schöffer of Gernsheim. Gutenberg, with the assistance of a Dr Homery, afterwards set up another printing-press, with which he worked on till the date of his death, 1468. For authorities and an account of the invention controversy, see PRINTING.