EN
Different definitions of poverty are explained as a social phenomenon of the transforming social structure during the modernization process taking place in the Bohemian Lands in the 19th century. The results of Josephinian reforms of the late 18th century are compared with the social policy of the late 19th century. Attention is also paid to the legal foundations of and the financial sources for social care. In conclusion, the level of social care in the Bohemian Lands is compared with the overall conditions in Austria at that time.