Gutenberg Museum in Mainz

We took our next door neighbors, Randall and Paula Call to Gutenberg Museum in Mainz.  In the early 1400's Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printing press in Europe.  It played a key role in the Renaissance Reformation....the Age of Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution.  His major work, world known is the first printing of the Gutenberg Bible.  Up until this point the bible was hand written and took approximately four years to write.  The museum also told about the history of paper and had a number of displays with children's books and different types of papers.

 Although this demonstration was in German, we could understand what he was showing us about the first printing press......very interesting!

 As we long for spring to show it's face, we came out of the museum to find this beautiful garden of pansy's!  Made me happy!

 The Cathedral in Mainz was established in the old Rome city before the end of the 4th century.  St. Boniface of Crediton, Anglo Saxon missionary to Germany was the first Archbishop in 747.

 This Cathedral has been built and rebuilt and renovated many times.  First in  1009, it caught fire on the day of it's consecration.  Then caught fire again in 1081.  It was finally completed, renovated and added to by the mid 16th Century, but it still suffered even more calamities.  The roof was destroyed by lightening in 1767, French troops damaged it in 1792, and Prussian troops attached it so badly in 1793 that parts of the structure had to be demolished.  The building was also used as an army base, the artifacts sold and the woodwork burned.  In 1942 the Cathedral was bombed several times causing further damage and loss.

 The Cathedral grounds were beautiful and the Cathedral itself is stunningly beautiful and very large.

Our new neighbors, the Call's, Randall and Paula are fast becoming good friends!

We have noticed, now that we are on the "back side" of our mission, that the time is passing by quickly.  Now that the weather is nicer and Spring is opening it's door we look forward to many more sights to see and things to do on our weekends.  We have dear friends that are going home this Thursday which makes us so sad (the Robert's).  They will be missed and there will be a void once they are no longer part of our experience here.