" Poverty" is a contentious, politically normative, emotionally charged, and morally loaded term. Christoph Butterwegge discusses the concept of poverty, looks at the history of poverty, and conveys the theoretical foundations. He presents the main directions of poverty research, explains the common methods of measuring poverty, and questions the statistical data as documented in the poverty and wealth reports of the federal government. In addition to the various manifestations and consequences of poverty for those affected and society, he is concerned with the causes of poverty and the unconvincing explanations provided by the public. Other topics addressed include "Hartz IV and Poverty," "Poverty and Education," and "Poverty and Health." Finally, the discussion focuses on the fight against poverty and the question of what can be done.