The mid-15th century corresponds to a golden age for the Kingdom of Poland. At that time, King Casimir IV Jagiello was one of the great heads of state of Central Europe. His kingdom then extended over an area of ​​more than 800.000km2 (much more than current mainland France). The 1450s saw the emergence of an invention that would revolutionize the history of mankind, namely the printing press.

If we admit that the first published book was Gutenberg’s Bible (Mainz, between 1452 and 1455), we can say that the first printed documents made their appearance rapidly in Poland from the year 1473. In other words, the printing press developed in Poland before being used in the Netherlands, Austria or even England. 

It is also worth noting that the first book ever printed in England saw the light of day four years after this prowess had been acoplished in Krakow.

The first printing press was launched in London around the year 1480 by John Lettou, an immigrant of Polish-Lithuanian origin. 

In Spain, it is also to a Pole that we owe the diffusion of the printing press. From 1475 Estanislao (Stanisław) Polono was running a printing press in Naples. About fifteen years later, he settled in Seville where over 100 books were published by his company between 1490 and 1504.

Of course, it was Gutenberg’s Germany, Italy and France in the first place which at the end of the 15th century represented the main centers of printed book production. Although the Kingdom of Poland cannot easily be added to this list of printing „heavyweights”, it must nevertheless be recognized that the Poles were then part of the avant-garde in this field which represented an authentic technological and intellectual revolution.

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen

Photo: Unsplash.com