Historic Printing Shop

The printing press may have been as important to the Reformation as church leaders like Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli: Thanks to the invention of Gutenberg's movable type in 1450, inexpensive Bibles found their way into the hands of lay readers, and the Luther Bible (which is credited with standardizing the modern German language) "empowered and liberated all Protestants who had access to it."

Today, visitors to Wittenberg can see Luther-era printing in action at the Historische Druckerstube, or Historic Printing Shop, where master printer Andreas Metsche greets visitors in German, English, and 15 other languages (including Swahili).

Herr Metschke is a lively, entertaining fellow who'll usually stop work to explain what he's doing and demonstrate how he makes cards, prints, and other items on an antique letterpress. (You can click the image at left for a larger sample of Herr Metschke's work.)

The workshop's hand-printed notecards are for sale, and prices are reasonable.

Look for the Historic Printing Shop in the Cranach Courtyards at Schlossstrasse 1, where you'll also find an historic pharmacy, an art school, and a hostel for art students.

Contact information and business hours:

Historische Druckerstube
Proprietor: Andreas Metschke
Schlossstrasse 1
06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany
Monday to Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Admission: Free.