Building “translating institutions” in nineteenth-century national contexts

The proto-history of institutional translators as a professional group

Abstract

Institutional translators were employed in several multilingual countries in the nineteenth century, well before the first academic training and research institutions were established in the field of translation. Looking at the history of these translators can enrich our understanding of both the history of the countries in question and the professionalisation of translation. This article presents a case study focusing on the Swiss federal institutions from 1848 to 1914. Sources from digitised public archives are used to examine to what extent, how and why institutional translation became professionalised in that context, and to put together a profile for nineteenth century federal translators. Following this, the findings of the case study are linked with elements of translator history that can be derived from existing research on other multilingual countries. Various thematic clusters are identified, which can be used as a basis for developing comparative and relational approaches. The article highlights the relevance of such approaches in contributing to a history of translation knowledge and practice, as well as their potential for stimulating theoretical reflection on processes of professionalisation.