Female voices in translation: a historical analysis of German-speaking territories

Abstract

This paper identifies the intellectual work of women in the history of translation by discussing historical and cultural issues in German-speaking territories from the mid-18^th to the mid-19^th century. The research methodology is qualitative with an interpretive approach, drawing on works of critical literature review published between 1904 and 2024. The paper is divided into three parts, which seek to answer questions regarding the omission or exclusion of the names of women translators in the History of Translation and the intellectual contribution of women in the German context, emphasizing topics relevant to Translation Studies and Philosophy. The case of a group of five women, known as the Göttinger Universitätsmamsellen (the Misses from the University of Göttingen), is presented. They were part of prominent intellectual circles, carried out interlingual translations and had works published at a time when this was not yet common for their female contemporaries. They were an exceptional example. Among the results of the study, it was observed that the intellectual work of women contributed to the circulation of texts relevant to Enlightenment and Literature in pre-unified Germany. However, their names are not remembered as much as those of their male partners and family members.

Keywords
history of Translation; Translation studies; German; 18^th century; 19^th century