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Mainz, home of the printed word

4th January 2008

A visit to Mainz is not only a journey to one of Germany's most historic cities, it is also one to the roots of modern-day literature.

The reason for this is that Mainz, which sits on the west bank of the Rhine, was the home of Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the moveable printing press. There had been printed books in the world before Gutenberg's invention in 1440, but his contraption of wood and metal was to become the industry standard for the following six centuries.

Today, Gutenberg's legacy can not only be seen in the millions of books that are bought, read and borrowed around the globe, but also in the place of his birth. Mainz has preserved the history of its most famous son in the Gutenberg Museum, which is a shrine to the art of printing. With demonstrations taking place through the day, visitors can watch how the press worked and even create their own printed messages.

While the importance of Mainz to culture is one of the main attractions to any visitor, the city's history can be traced back much further, even to Celtic and Roman times. Mainz is home to one of Germany's oldest cathedrals and was also the country's first republic. Witnessing Franco-Prussian battles and troubled by the wars of the 20th century, the story of Mainz is a long and well woven tapestry.

Take a short break in Mainz.

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