With the relief printing press, which can also be used for press, Albrecht Dürer himself printed his woodcuts. The exhibit is a reconstruction made in 1971, the Dürer year, based on one of Dürer's sketches from the year 1511. The printing (wooden) block wet with ink from leather pads is placed in a retractable carriage on an underframe. The sheet of paper to be printed is attached to a swiveling cover in a frame that also protects the edge of the page from dust. The layer of paper in the closed cover is then brought down onto the printing block. The spindle and the platen attached to it are screwed down with the aid of the bar. The platen exerts pressure on the paper and the printing block, whose lines relief leave an imprint on the paper – hence the name relief printing press. Printing was a particularly lengthy process, as each sheet of paper had to be inserted individually.

The Era of Geniuses Europe occurred around 1500. In 1503, Leonardo da Vinci created what is arguably the world's most famous painting Mona Liza, Albrecht Durer was working on the probably most influential copperplate engraving of all times his "Adam and Eve" of 1504. Since the 15th century, a breathtaking wave of renewal in visual art and architecture had been sweeping through large parts of Europe. We call this time the "Renaissance," referring to the rebirth of Antiquity. It started in Italy, but in Northern Europe was taken on in a very modified form. Here, the formal principles of the late Gothic period- prolific abundance and great attention to detail - remained valid for decades. Many German scholars studied at Italian universities and brought Humanism home with them. But around 1500, Italian scholars rejected the German "barbarians," which led to a kind of "national countermovement." Its spokesman, the famous poet, and scholar, Konrad Celtis, had been closely cooperating with Dürer. Thus Dürer had the opportunity to participate in the debates of his time with his works of art. Around 1500, Dürer's lifelong friendship began, with the essential Nuremberg humanist, Willibald Pirckheimer In 1494, Dürer traveled south, his destination unknown, but probably only managed to get as far as South Tyrol. In 1505 that he lived and worked in Venice for 18 months, painted a magnificent altarpiece for the German merchants there, and successfully sold his prints. Dürer irrevocably opened up the path from medieval craftsman to the autonomous, modern artist. We know more about the creative genius and human being Albrecht Dürer than about all the other artists of his epoch, but we still know far from everything. Dürer's parents were pious, and nothing points to the difference from Dürer himself. The church year, with its many holy days and devotions, permeated all areas of life, and the Bible was the highest moral authority in everyday life, too. About two-thirds of Dürer's enormous oeuvre dealt with religious topics, but Dürer's particular achievement is the completely novel, emotional treatment of old familiar issues. In 1525, Nuremberg, one of the most powerful city-states, gave an early and vital impetus to the Reformation. In 1520, Dürer opened himself enthusiastically to Martin Luther. But he also criticized the devastation wrought by the iconoclasts. Dürer's friend, Willibald Pirckheimer, later on, distanced himself from the new faith. Whether Dürer followed him in this, remains unclear. His artistic inheritance, the "Four Apostles", when painted in 1526 was not destined for a church, but for Nuremberg's City Hall: as a warning to Christians, whatever their denomination. And also, Albrecht specialized in an entirely new profession: that of book illustrator and free graphic artist. Many German scholars studied at Italian universities and brought Humanism home with them. But around 1500, Italian scholars rejected the German "barbarians," which led to a kind of "national countermovement." Its spokesman, the famous poet, and scholar, Konrad Celtis, had been closely cooperating with Dürer. Thus Dürer had the opportunity to participate in the debates of his time with his works of art. Around 1500, Dürer's lifelong friendship began, with the essential Nuremberg humanist, Willibald Pirckheimer In 1494, Dürer traveled south, his destination unknown, but probably only managed to get as far as South Tyrol. In 1505 that he lived and worked in Venice for 18 months, painted a magnificent altarpiece for the German merchants there, and successfully sold his prints. Dürer irrevocably opened up the path from medieval craftsman to the autonomous, modern artist. We know more about the creative genius and human being Albrecht Dürer than about all the other artists of his epoch, but we still know far from everything. Dürer's parents were pious, and nothing points to the difference from Dürer himself. The church year, with its many holy days and devotions, permeated all areas of life, and the Bible was the highest moral authority in everyday life, too. About two-thirds of Dürer's enormous oeuvre dealt with religious topics, but Dürer's particular achievement is the completely novel, emotional treatment of old familiar issues. In 1525, Nuremberg, one of the most powerful city-states, gave an early and vital impetus to the Reformation. In 1520, Dürer opened himself enthusiastically to Martin Luther. But he also criticized the devastation wrought by the iconoclasts. Dürer's friend, Willibald Pirckheimer, later on, distanced himself from the new faith. Whether Dürer followed him in this, remains unclear. His artistic inheritance, the "Four Apostles", when painted in 1526 was not destined for a church, but for Nuremberg's City Hall: as a warning to Christians, whatever their denomination. And also, Albrecht specialized in an entirely new profession: that of book illustrator and free graphic artist. With his "artist's book" of the Apocalypse of 1498 and the copperplate engraving of Cardinal Albrecht of 1519, he reinvented entire art genres anew. But mainly Dürer was the first person outside Italy to ask the central questions which still affect art today: What is beauty? What makes a genius? What can art express? What defines the role of art in society? Dürer's creations- around 100 paintings, 250 graphic prints, 1000 drawings, and three textbooks are as many attempts at finding answers to all these questions. Modern art seems to be 500 years old!