The translating notary. Sketch of an emancipatory role in 19th century Flanders. De vertalende notaris. Schets van een emancipatorische rol in Vlaanderen in 19de-eeuws Vlaanderen

The 19th century saw the establishment of the nation state, in which communication between the state and its citizens played a central role. However,
achieving this communication is not necessarily obvious in a society where many citizens are illiterate and/or do not speak the language mainly used by the state. This thesis is part of a research project focusing on Flemish citizens in the 19th century. The main aim was to determine their access to the law, through the linguistic and translation policies in place, and whether or not these policies encouraged the access to the law. Within this framework, this thesis aims to demonstrate the role of the Flemish notary as translator. Access to the law is defined in terms of three elements: material, interlinguistic and intralinguistic availability. The research firstly notes that, with regards to these three elements, there is a mismatch between the regulations and the practices and beliefs of the time. Flemish citizens' access to the law is therefore described as 'deficient'. In the second part, this thesis demonstrates why the Flemish notary was able to promote the three elements of access to the law and contribute to the emancipation of Flemish citizens. Focusing on the inter- and intralinguistic element, it outlines the notary's role as translator.