Composers / Fryderyk Chopin / Places catalog

Home of Jan Matuszyński

Jan Matuszyński, one of Chopin’s closest friends, was born in 1808. The two met on a school bench at the Warsaw Lyceum. Their correspondence began during the summer holidays and continued even after Chopin had left the country for good (Matuszyński is the addressee of six letters known to have been written by the composer).

Matuszyński was musically gifted and was encouraged in this direction as a child. This is evidenced by a paragraph in the Kurier Warszawski [Warsaw courier] of May 1823: ‘Jan Matuszyński, the son of a Warsaw citizen, gave a concert on the transverse flute during the epistles in the Bernardine church yesterday. His assuredness and purity of tone, and his fluency and feeling convinced the experts that, with further practice, this youngster could distinguish himself as an excellent artist. Apart from his inborn aptitude, he owes his talent to his respectable teacher, Mr Ziernstejn, first transverse flautist at the National Theatre’.

Despite his artistic talents, Matuszyński decided to follow family tradition and take up medicine. He commenced his studies in Warsaw and obtained his doctorate in Tübingen, in 1834. He went to Paris soon afterwards and lived with Chopin in 1834–1836 – much to the satisfaction of the composer’s parents.

Matuszyński tried to cure Chopin over the next few years (e.g. in a letter from Chopin to Auguste Franchomme, probably from 1841, we read: ‘My dear friend, be so kind as to make my excuses to Mme Gangler, but I have been spitting blood for an hour, and Matuszyński gave me medicine instead of dinner’). The two remained close friends.

Unfortunately, Matuszyński contracted tuberculosis in 1842 and succumbed soon afterwards. Chopin was moved to George Sand’s residence at Place Pigalle 16. Sand later wrote in a letter to Pauline Viardot: ‘His Polish friend, the doctor, an old schoolmate of Chopins’, died in our arms in a slow and cruel agony that made poor Chopin suffer as if he was going through it himself’.

Matuszyński lived in this residence on ul. Elektoralna (now ul. Chłodna) while he was a pupil at the Warsaw Lyceum in 1825–1826.

Place Category
Antoni Brzezina’s bookshop Publishers / Bookshops
Antonin Manors / Palaces / Castles
Apartment of Dominik Magnuszewski Flats
Apartment of Stefan Witwicki Flats
Apartment of the family of Alfons Brandt Flats
Augsburg Evangelical Church of the Holy Trinity Churches / Places of worship
Belvedere Appearances
Bielany, Camaldolese monastery Churches / Places of worship
Blue Palace Manors / Palaces / Castles
‘Botanika’ Other
Brochów Churches / Places of worship
Brühl Palace Appearances
Buchholtz’s instrument store Other
Casimir Palace Flats
Chopin Monument in Łazienki Park Other
Czapski (Krasiński) Palace Appearances, Manors / Palaces / Castles
Dal Trozzo bookshop Publishers / Bookshops
Duszniki Zdrój Hotels / Inns
Dziewanowski home Flats
Engraving studio of Fr Izydor Józef Cybulski and Antoni Płachecki Education
Franciszek Klukowski bookshop Publishers / Bookshops
Fryderyk Chopin Museum Other
Fryderyk Skarbek’s apartment Flats
Gdańsk Hotels / Inns
Gładkowskis' apartment Flats
Golub Other
Holy Cross Church Churches / Places of worship
Home of Jan Matuszyński Flats
‘Honoratka’ Coffeehouses
Jabłonowski Palace Manors / Palaces / Castles
Jan Böhm’s townhouse Flats
Kalisz Other
Kikół Manors / Palaces / Castles
Kolbergs' apartment Flats
Kowalewo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Kozłowo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Krakow Other
Ludwik Dmuszewski’s house Flats
Magnus's bookshop Publishers / Bookshops
Marceli Celiński’s apartment Flats
Maurycy Mochnacki’s home Flats
Miss Kicka's Salon in Lubomirski Palace Manors / Palaces / Castles
National Theatre Appearances
Obory Churches / Places of worship
Obrowo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Ojców Other
‘Old’ Merchants' Hall Appearances
Patisserie Lourse Coffeehouses
Pieskowa Skała Other
Płock Other
‘Pod Kopciuszkiem’ and ‘Dziurka’ Coffeehouses
Poturzyn Manors / Palaces / Castles
Powązki Cemeteries
Poznań Other
Presbytery of St Jadwiga (Hedwig) parish church in Milanówek Other
Pruszak Palace Manors / Palaces / Castles
Residence of Józef Reinschmidt’s parents Flats
Rościszewo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Sanniki Manors / Palaces / Castles
Saxon Palace Flats
Saxon Post Office Other
Skating rink Other
Sochaczew Other
Sokołowo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Staszic Palace Manors / Palaces / Castles
Strzyżew Manors / Palaces / Castles
Szafarnia Manors / Palaces / Castles
Toruń Other
Turzno Manors / Palaces / Castles
‘U Brzezińskiej’ Coffeehouses
Ugoszcz Manors / Palaces / Castles
Viceroy's Palace Appearances
Vilnius (Wileński) Hotel Hotels / Inns
Visitandine Church of St Joseph Churches / Places of worship
Waplewo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Warsaw Other
Warsaw Charitable Society Appearances
Warsaw Conservatory Appearances
‘Wiejska Kawa’ Coffeehouses
Wieliczka Other
Wojciech Żywny’s apartment Flats
Wola Tollhouse Other
Wrocław Appearances
Żelazowa Wola Flats
Żychlin Manors / Palaces / Castles