Imperial Reach through Bible Translations in Nineteenth Century German East Africa

Jensz, Felicity

Abstract

Informed by an attention to global and transnational entanglements, this article examines the context and process of bible translations from German East Africa at the tail end of German colonial rule in the early twentieth century. Translation is always a process of negotiation and compromise, and through examining the processes behind the translation and publication of the Bible into Nyiha and Nyamwesi a number of imperial as well as religious tensions become evident. The article demonstrates that through focusing on the historical setting of, and contributors to, colonial bible translations new insights into the political, cultural, religious, and economic tensions across imperial borders are gained. Although seldom mentioned in official reports, indigenous translators, women and even children, were of immense importance to the ‘reduction’ and ‘conquering’ of ‘unmastered languages’ beyond the work of colonial and missionary linguists, and thereby also contributed to the imperial reach of European empires.