The history of scientific and technical translation represents essential element not only of our country’s history, but of the world’s. The research performed by Histradcyt group is of both a historical and translational nature, as well as of a bibliographic one. Two types of material are used for the group’s research: critical historical sources on studied periods (18th-19th century), digitalised catalogues, as well as manual catalogues.

We are currently implementing a double database that includes both a corpus of scientific and technical translations from French to Spanish, mainly published in Spain and France between the 18th and 19th centuries and a corpus of translators responsible for these translations. With this activity, the basis for a future online dictionary of translations and translators are established. It will offer a thematic classification of the translations with their bibliographical characteristics, as well as the corpus of translators with their bio-bibliographical characteristics.

We consider the group’s activity especially important for future research works both in the field of History of translation in Spain and in History of science and technique proceeding from Europe. This is due to the fact that, in the 18th and 19th centuries, French was the transmission medium of European science, later giving way to English language.

The acquired experience in this field of knowledge has made us increase the number of work languages, namely Spanish translations of texts in French and English (without dismissing German in the future). At the end of the 19th century, English language slowly starts to compete with French in the specialised field. In knowing that the history of translation is a time continuum that can hardly coincide with the delimitations of the centuries, we have broadened our studied timespan up to the 20th century.