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Gutenberg Prints Indulgences

Type Event Region Europe Time 1454–1455

In the mid-1450s, the Gutenberg workshop in Germany used the newly invented movable-type printing technology to print church indulgences and other sh…

Timeline

  1. 1454Mainz · GermanyThe church commissioned the printing of indulgences; the Gutenberg workshop set short German and Latin texts in movable type, making technical preparations for mass printing.
  2. 1454–1455Germany · Holy Roman EmpireEarly printed items, including the 31-line indulgence, appeared, marking the first large-scale use of movable type for reproducing commercial church documents; surviving specimens became important evidence in the history of printing.

Sources