We’re now standing in Place Gutenberg, one of Strasbourg’s most iconic squares — and fittingly, home to a statue of Johannes Gutenberg. Although Gutenberg was born in Mainz, Germany, it was here in Strasbourg in the mid-fifteenth century that he began experimenting with movable type printing — an invention that sparked a communication revolution. Before his innovation, books were copied by hand, often by monks, one letter at a time. His breakthrough was the development of small, reusable metal letters that could be arranged, inked, and pressed onto paper, allowing books to be produced faster, more cheaply, and in far greater quantities. You can see a prototype displayed beside the statue. A few years later, he used this technique to print what became known as the Gutenberg Bible — the first major book ever produced using movable type. Now look at the statue. Gutenberg is holding a sheet of paper that reads, in French: “Et la lumière fut” — “And there was light.” The phrase refers to the idea that printing brought light — the light of knowledge — to the world. Through printed words, ideas, education, and truth became accessible to ordinary people, not just the elite. Next, look at the plinth below the statue. You’ll notice four bronze bas-reliefs, each showing how printing influenced different parts of the world. On the front panel, Europe is shown crowded with great thinkers — Erasmus, Chaucer, Milton, Molière, Rousseau, Voltaire, Kant, and Schiller — representing the explosion of literature and philosophy that followed Gutenberg’s invention. To the right, the America panel features figures like Benjamin Franklin and the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It highlights how printing spread not just ideas, but also freedom — helping fuel new nations and democratic principles. To the left, the Africa panel depicts William Wilberforce and other abolitionists, using the printed word to fight slavery and raise awareness of injustice. Finally, though more weathered, the Asia panel portrays Brahmins exchanging manuscripts for books and Chinese scholars studying the works of Confucius — symbolising the meeting of ancient wisdom with modern technology. Each panel reminds us that from this very city — from Gutenberg’s hands — began a ripple that ultimately reached every corner of the world. Let’s move on to the next stop. As you arrive, look out for a statue holding a crossbow—that’s Reimbold Liebenzeller, the man who led the citizens against the Bishop’s army, as I mentioned in the second stop of our tour.