The author analyses donations of lay persons, especially aristocracy to the Church for the benefit of donor's soul in the period 1280-1409. On the basis of almost 500 deeds for Carniolan and Lower Styrian ecclesiastic institutions he analyses kinds and restricted motif of donations. He dedicates his special attention to the problems of choice and ranking of institutions, to social conditions at the extent and choice of a donation. On the basis of frequency and extent of a gift he tries to define the social status of aristocracy in the discussed territory. He dedicates his special attention to legal ways of donating, to land tenures transactions, capitalizations, proportions of feudal estates and allodiums among donations etc.