This paper deals with the problem of welfare capitalism in the Habsburg Empire before the Great War. While welfare capitalism in the Western world is one of the long-term discussed topics, in Eastern Europe, respectively in the Bohemian lands, less attention has been paid to this phenomenon. In the Western ...
(Show more)This paper deals with the problem of welfare capitalism in the Habsburg Empire before the Great War. While welfare capitalism in the Western world is one of the long-term discussed topics, in Eastern Europe, respectively in the Bohemian lands, less attention has been paid to this phenomenon. In the Western world, industrial enterprises were the key actor of welfare capitalism. However, this study shows that state, provincial and district authorities could also play a role in the Bohemian lands. For example, one of the most important arms and engineering companies in the Habsburg Empire - Škoda Works in Pilsen in 1910 applied for tax exemption for the construction of 250 houses for 3 500 people. 1907 respectively 1910 the Reichsrat in Vienna and Landtag in Prag approved a special law that exempted the construction of workers' flats from certain taxes and charges. In this respect, the management of the Škoda Works provided financial savings. It has therefore begun to communicate with the state and provincial authorities on this matter, which have only conditionally approved the tax exemption. In the end, the ministerial authorities in Vienna had to make decisions.
(Show less)