In oversized glory, it stands on the square that bears his name: The Danish sculptor Berthel Thorvaldsen provided the design for the bronze statue of Johannes Gutenberg. The monument, completely renovated in 2010, depicts the inventor of printing, of whom no contemporary portrait exists, in an idealized representation: bearded, elegantly dressed, with a Bible and typeset in hand.
The inauguration of the monument in 1837 was celebrated by the residents of Mainz with a three-day festival. Even today, there is lively activity around the monument in Gutenbergplatz - and not only on Johannisnacht, the festival honoring the city's greatest son, which takes place every year at the end of June.
