Gutenberg memorial

The Gutenberg memorial is a bronze statue on Gutenberg Square showing Johannes Gutenberg holding a Bible and printing types in his hands. The figure stands on a pedestal made of nine sandstone blocks and dominates the square with its classical form.

Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen created the memorial in 1837 to mark four centuries since Gutenberg's invention of movable type printing. The work was funded by donations from across Europe, showing widespread recognition of this important discovery.

The memorial stands in a central square in Mainz and marks the importance of printing in shaping the modern world. Visitors see a symbol showing how one invention transformed life for people everywhere.

The memorial sits on an open square in central Mainz and is easy to reach on foot. The statue is clearly visible from outside, and the square itself has room to walk around and view it from different angles.

During World War II, the statue was buried next to its base to protect it from bombing raids and later restored to its original position. This story shows how much this memorial meant to the people of Mainz.

Location: Mainz

GPS coordinates: 49.99885,8.27159

Latest update: December 8, 2025 21:00