Pioneering interpreting studies

Abstract

Abstract On the occasion of her 80th birthday, this article highlights the pioneering contribution of Ingrid Kurz to the development of interpreting studies. Following a biographical sketch describing her professional and academic career over half a century, the most important themes of her research are reviewed under the headings of history, profession, psychology, training, quality, media, and fiction. An attempt is made to gauge the impact of her pioneering work and to trace some of its links to recent research in the field. Kurz’s early work is placed in its context at the time and compared to present-day features of the discipline. With reference to trends such as internationalization, specialization and professionalization, Kurz is characterized as a precursor whose unique combination of professional commitment and intellectual curiosity in the formative decades of interpreting studies yielded an impact that would no longer be conceivable in the way the discipline has evolved in the 21st century.