Composers / Fryderyk Chopin / Places catalog

Warsaw Charitable Society

Nineteenth-century Warsaw, like any other large city, had its fair share of poverty and deprivation, as well as ostentatious salons and monumental palaces. The hungry and those unable to support themselves for whatever reason were assisted by a variety of charitable institutions and philanthropic initiatives. The Warsaw Charitable Society contributed most in this area. The Society was founded by Zofia Zamoyska, née Czartoryska, in 1814, after a devastating fire in the capital. Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Anna Sapieżyna, née Zamoyska, Princess Maria Wirtemberska and Józef Lipiński, secretary general of the Chamber of Education, were among those who patronised it. The Society was officially inaugurated at a meeting held in December 1814, and Prince Adam Czartoryski, brother of Zofia Zamoyska, was elected chairman.

The Society proved to be expeditious from day one and set up several branches. In 1818, the tsar donated a complex of buildings at what is now Krakowskie Przedmieście 62 for its headquarters.

The palace that had originally stood there since the middle of the sixteenth century changed hands several times before coming into the possession of the Princes Lubomirski in the 1660s. Shortly afterwards, it was merged with a Discalced Carmelite Monastery. In 1818 the monastery moved to Krakow, and in 1819–1823 Antonio Corazzi converted the building for the Society.

The Society collected donations for its charges at charitable concerts it held on the first floor of its Krakowskie Przedmieście headquarters. The young Fryderyk Chopin performed in one of those concerts on 24 February 1823. Mieczysław Tomaszewski tells us that he played a piano concerto by Ferdinand Ries. The performance of the young virtuoso was very positively written up two days later in the Kurier dla Płci Pięknej [Courier of the fair sex]: ‘We venture to say that we have never heard a virtuoso in our capital who can master such astounding difficulties with such ease and precision at such a tender age; who can play the most beautiful adagio with such feeling and unfailing accuracy; in a word, we have never heard such a fabulous genius who can achieve that level of excellence at that age. He was every bit worthy of the admirable work of Ries’.

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