The state and the family, including the whole network of relatives, are the two greatest providers of social security in modern Europe. Like the state, the family provides care, education and financial support to the individual. But how do state and family interact along social change? Using empirical data and findings from historical social research, the authors outline the embedding of family and kin in the Austrian social insurance system, as it evolved along the 20th century. This outline is illustrated by over 50 charts and tables for Austria and selected European countries.