This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. German to English
  3. History

Landesfürst

English translation: local ruler

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Landesfürst
English translation:local ruler
Entered by: Maureen Millington-Brodie

20:46 Jul 11, 2005
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - History / title
German term or phrase: Landesfürst
Hello again,
More from the historical text. The year is 1620.

"Neulich traf ich auf meinen Kollegen [Stadvogt] zu Bodenwerder, der sich gerade mit dem dortigen Rat stritt. Er hatte auf Geheiß seines **Landesfürsten** einige Gehenkte vom Galgen nehmen lassen, die halb verfault und von wilden Tieren angefressen waren. Er wollte sie verscharren. Dies passte jedoch dem Rat der Stadt nicht, der meinte, selbst Herr des Gerichts zu sein."
Hilary Davies Shelby
United States
Local time: 01:16
local ruler
Explanation:
weren't there over 1000 of them at one time? I think it's preferable to keep the title more parochial than that implied by using "sovereign".
Selected response from:

Maureen Millington-Brodie
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:16
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7local ruler
Maureen Millington-Brodie
2 +5prince
Francis Lee (X)
3 +1sovereign
Manuela Junghans
4sovereign
Ann C Sherwin
3reigning prince
Yorkshireman


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
sovereign


Explanation:
lt. Leo.

Manuela Junghans
Germany
Local time: 08:16
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  silfilla: first come, first serve (*reigning prince* is an alternative but wouldn't work here)
1 hr
neutral  Francis Lee (X): this fails to deal with the dukedom/princedom/kingdom issue
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
sovereign


Explanation:
"Sovereign" and "reigning prince" are given in my 1886 Heath's German-English dictionary.

Ann C Sherwin
Local time: 02:16
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Francis Lee (X): as does my 1899 Thieme-Preusser (and they were less enlightened than we are now); "his sovereign" could be a deity, an emperor etc.
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Landesfürst
prince


Explanation:
There's no alternative in English, but I think "his prince" makes it clear that this is the prince of the territory in question ...

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 08:16
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 103

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ulrike Kraemer: mbrodie is right in that there were over 1000 of them at one time. Still, they were all "Fürsten" even if their "Fürstentümer" were very small. IMHO, "his prince" or maybe "his local prince" is the best alternative (sovereign makes me think of Napoleon) .
8 hrs
agree  Rachel Ward: With LittleBalu - however many there were, they were all princes
10 hrs
agree  Kieran McCann: I think the geezer was a 'prince' of some kind even if a very little one
11 hrs
agree  Rebecca Garber
17 hrs
agree  Lancashireman: (Collins Gem Dictionary)
20 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
Landesfürst
local ruler


Explanation:
weren't there over 1000 of them at one time? I think it's preferable to keep the title more parochial than that implied by using "sovereign".

Maureen Millington-Brodie
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:16
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 28
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Arthur Allmendinger
31 mins
agree  mstkwasa: No consensus among historians. Not "sovereign" since they were not, at least pre-1648. I would use "ruler" here and I have done so in similar situations academically. The ruler in question must be one of the Braunschweig-Lüneburg branches.
3 hrs
agree  Rebecca Garber
10 hrs
agree  Francis Lee (X): "ruler" might be the safer/better option, as a "Fürst" is/was not necessarily equivalent to a "prince"
13 hrs
agree  Mario Marcolin: Safest option, if I remember correctly this would be the Duke of Calenberg
4 days
agree  verbis
9 days
agree  Maria Ferstl
10 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3163 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
reigning prince


Explanation:
Liechtenstein calls him the Prince Regnant or the reigning prince.

If it's about a duke, the word "duchy" comes to mind as the authority

Yorkshireman
Germany
Local time: 08:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search