Places of Translation: A Comparative Study of the Emergence of Local Translation Policies in Belgium and Switzerland (1830/1848- 1918)

This project aims to provide decisive insight into local translation policies by comparing, from the point of view of Translation Studies, the emergence of such policies in Belgium and Switzerland, two countries where multilingualism forms a part of the political system and national self-definition. While both countries have consistently adhered to a liberal and democratic political model since their establishment as modern independent states, their language policies have historically developed from two opposite models (unitary and officially monolingual vs federal and officially multilingual). Taking several cities in each country as case studies, and looking at the period from the founding of the modern state (1830 and 1848, respectively) to the First World War, the project compares the emergence of local translation policies at three levels: the translation policies of the cities to each other, the interaction of these local policies with the national framework between the cities in each country, and local–national interactions between the two countries. Local translation policies are approached from the perspective of translation management, practices and beliefs, with a view to investigating not only the scope, functions, forms and practical organization of translation, but also its symbolic aspects, factors of change, and social and cultural impact.