CIRCA 1450

The day mass media is born

In the year 1517 a monk becomes the greatest rebel in the history of the Church. Martin Luther completely shakes up the world of Christianity with his 95 Theses. But this reformation would have remained a footnote in world history— were it not for the invention of Johannes Gutenberg, which marks the entry into the age of mass media. He molds movable letters out of metal and arranges them to form words and sentences. Texts could be copied faster than ever before and as often as desired. Knowledge became fast and freely available to all. In this way Luther’s theses can spread across Germany. His likeness also appears on the leaflets, so the public has an image of him; few people know what his opponent, the pope, looks like.