Germany's early role in printing the first novels
Though Don Quixote is widely seen as the first modern novel from 1605 Spain, Germany's printing boom in the 17th century was crucial for the genre's early development and spread across Europe.
While Spain's Don Quixote (1605) is often hailed as the first modern novel, Germany played a pivotal role in the genre's early spread. The invention of movable type by Gutenberg fueled a printing boom, leading to significant literary innovation. By the mid-1600s, German authors were experimenting with narrative forms, often influenced by the Thirty Years' War.
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