The World’s Largest Printed Bible Page at Strasbourg Cathedral
On 9 May 2026, Europe Day, the world’s largest printed Bible page will be ceremonially presented at Strasbourg Cathedral. The monumental reproduction of a page from the famous 42-line Gutenberg Bible was created on the initiative of the International Gutenberg Society in Mainz as part of the Gutenberg anniversary celebrations and will now be shown publicly in Strasbourg for the first time.
The monumental print measures 5 metres in width and 7.20 metres in height and is considered the largest printed Bible page ever produced worldwide. It was printed in spring 2025 in Mainz, the birthplace of Johannes Gutenberg, together with numerous partners and members of Strasbourg’s Espace Européen Gutenberg.
Its presentation at Strasbourg Cathedral also highlights the close historical connection between Mainz and Strasbourg. In the 1430s and early 1440s, Gutenberg worked in Strasbourg on technical processes that are regarded as important precursors to his later invention. Back in Mainz, he ultimately succeeded in producing the 42-line Bible — the first major book in Europe printed with movable metal type and a masterpiece of early printing.
The production of the monumental page itself combined traditional printing principles with experimental methods. Twelve computer-milled wooden printing blocks were assembled to recreate the historic printing form. The blocks were inked by hand, and to apply the necessary pressure to the enormous printing surface, a passenger car was slowly driven across the printing form. During a second printing process, the public also took part: numerous visitors generated the required pressure for the print simply through their collective body weight while walking across the printing plates.
The presentation in Strasbourg forms part of a broader cultural project by the Espace Européen Gutenberg, an organisation dedicated to preserving and communicating the history of printing and graphic media. Its long-term goal is the establishment of a “Centre Gutenberg” in Strasbourg — a European centre for printing arts, book history, typography, and graphic innovation.
The exhibition at Strasbourg Cathedral will be on view from 9 May until 31 August 2026. In parallel, the Espace Européen Gutenberg will host a public screen-printing workshop on 9 May at Place du Château as part of the Europe Day celebrations, focusing on the Gutenberg monuments in Mainz and Strasbourg.
The project was initiated by Markus Kohz, board member of the International Gutenberg Society in Mainz, who is also overseeing the installation of the monumental Bible page at Strasbourg Cathedral. The project exemplifies the International Gutenberg Society’s strong commitment to cross-border collaboration and its interest in expanding international partnerships in the fields of printing arts, book history, and typographic heritage.
The monumental Bible page was first presented at the opening of the Rhineland-Palatinate Cultural Summer and subsequently exhibited in Mainz Cathedral. The creation of the monumental page itself already attracted considerable international media attention. Its presentation at Strasbourg Cathedral now stands as a visible symbol of Europe’s shared printing heritage and of Gutenberg’s enduring significance for the dissemination of knowledge, education, and cultural exchange.
Following the presentation of the Bible page at Strasbourg Cathedral, Lord Mayor Nino Haase presented trial prints of the Bible page as official gifts to Jean-Luc Lienard, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Strasbourg, Carole Wenner, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg responsible for libraries, book promotion and the fight against illiteracy, and Guy Tinsel, President of the Espace Européen Gutenberg.
During the subsequent reception at the Espace’s offices, Guy Tinsel returned the gesture with a commemorative banner symbolising the close ties between the two Gutenberg cities – extending far beyond the art of printing itself.
As part of the Europe Day celebrations, the Espace Européen Gutenberg also organised a live printing activity in front of the cathedral. Dr. Carina Weißmann, Managing Director of the Internationale Gutenberg-Gesellschaft in Mainz e.V., participated with great enthusiasm.
We would like to thank our French friends for the excellent cooperation and the warm welcome in Strasbourg.
Photo credit: © Markus Kohz