Feeding the poor: A comparison between English soup kitchens and Portugal’s cozinhas económicas

Abstract

This paper examines the response of industrializing European societies to urban food insecurity and poor nutrition during the 19th  and early 20th centuries, focusing on England and Portugal. As these societies grappled with the consequences of industrialization and free-market economics, such as increased economic inequality, urban pressure, and unemployment, they faced significant  challenges in addressing the needs of the less advantaged and poor. The paper explores the different strategies adopted in England  and Portugal, where philanthropic institutions, notably soup kitchens in England and Economic Kitchens in Lisbon, played pivotal  roles. By analysing how these institutions were integrated into the urban fabric and their architectural expressions, the study  highlights how philanthropy not only aimed to alleviate hunger and malnutrition but also reflected prevailing social attitudes  towards poverty. This comparative approach underscores the varying impacts of these institutions on the poor and offers insights  into the broader socio-economic shifts influencing public responses to urban poverty.