Hans Vermeer
Encyclopedia
Prof. Dr. h.c. Hans-Josef Vermeer (September 24, 1930 - Heidelberg
, February 4, 2010), German
linguist and translation scholar.
He was appointed Professor of General and Applied Linguistics at the University of Mainz in Germersheim
(1971–1983). After that he held the chair of Translation Studies with special reference to Portuguese at Heidelberg University (1984–1992). He was also a visiting professor at Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck (1999–2002), Bosphorus University in Istanbul (2002–2003) and Okan University
in Istanbul (2004–2008). He finally returned to the universities of Mainz and Heidelberg to teach in his final years.
He established the skopos theory
.
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, February 4, 2010), German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
linguist and translation scholar.
He was appointed Professor of General and Applied Linguistics at the University of Mainz in Germersheim
Germersheim
Germersheim is a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, of around 20,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Germersheim district. The neighboring towns and cities are Speyer, Landau, Philippsburg, Karlsruhe and Wörth.-Coat of arms:...
(1971–1983). After that he held the chair of Translation Studies with special reference to Portuguese at Heidelberg University (1984–1992). He was also a visiting professor at Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck (1999–2002), Bosphorus University in Istanbul (2002–2003) and Okan University
Okan University
Okan University is a private university in Istanbul, Turkey.-History:The university was founded by Okan Holding, a Turkish company, in 1999.The university's first year of offering education was 2003.The first graduations took place in 2007....
in Istanbul (2004–2008). He finally returned to the universities of Mainz and Heidelberg to teach in his final years.
He established the skopos theory
Skopos theory
The skopos theory is a concept from the field of translation studies.It was established by the German linguist Hans Vermeer and comprises the idea that translating and interpreting should primarily take into account the function of both the source and target text.Skopos theory focuses on...
.
Works
- Untersuchungen zum Bau zentral-süd-asiatischer Sprachen (ein Beitrag zur Sprachbundfrage). Heidelberg, J. Groos, 1969.
- Aufsätze zur Translationstheorie. Heidelberg, 1983.
- (with Katharina ReissKatharina ReissKatharina Reiß , German linguist and translation scholar.She is a defender of the skopos theory.-Works:*Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Übersetzungskritik. Munich, Hueber, 1971....
) Grundlegung einer allgemeinen Translationstheorie. Tübingen, Niemeyer, 1984. - Skizzen zu einer Geschichte der Translation. Frankfurt, 1991.