Is Johannes Gutenberg German

Answer 1

It's possible, if not likely. Although much of Gutenberg's life is still a mystery, it has been speculated that he may indeed have been Jewish because of a number of facts about his personal life and home:

• His name Gutenburg, is similar to Jutenberg, "Jute" being similar to "Jude", which is German for "Jew". He was also depicted with a beard in most paintings and statues in Europe, a common facial feature among the town's Jewish men;
• Historian John Man, author of The Gutenberg Revolution, points out that his home was located on "Judenberg," also known as the Jewish Hill;
• The city where he was born, spent most of his life, and died, was Mainz, Germany, and during his time it was the capital of European Jewry, with its own Jewish academy, established 300 years earlier;
• During this period, Mainz also had the largest Jewish community in Europe;
• According to Mainz's web site, Gutenberg's time was considered the "golden age" of trade and prosperity of its citizens, and area Bishops had "protected" its Jewish population;
• According to John Man, over a century earlier, dozens of Jewish homes were confiscated by the city's powerful rulers, and among them was the Gutenberg house. It was later reacquired by Gutenberg's ancestors and remained in his family through his lifetime.
• Religion author John V. Collyer, notes on his web site, Bible Topics, that Gutenberg was born of a wealthy Jewish family in 1397.

Answer 2

Yes, he is generally described as German. In his day German nationality was not well developed and was purely cultural.