In the mid-15th century, at the time when Dieric Bouts (ca. 1410-1475) settled in Leuven as a town painter, access to scientific knowledge was very limited. Professors could afford manuscripts, while students copied texts themselves and common men barely had access to knowledge in book form. The arrival of the first printing press in the city opened new perspectives. Did this increase in scale also mean a real democratisation of reliable knowledge? Why were certain books censored? And why was knowledge figuratively and literally put on chains?

Discover the answers to all these questions during your visit to the autumn exhibition of KU Leuven Libraries in the University Library. These pages will help you prepare for your visit or look back afterwards.