The beginnings of Fryderyk Chopin's links with Czech culture date back to his early years, when his musical talent was shaped by, among others, teachers of Czech origin. Already as a child, Chopin studied music under Adalbert Živný (Vojtěc Živný 1757-1842), who, though for many years connected with Poland, was of Czech origin.

Later in his musical education, at the Warsaw Conservatory, Chopin had the opportunity to study under Václav Vilém Würfl (1790-1832), the esteemed Czech composer and pianist. Chopin dedicated his Fourth Piano Concerto in F major to Würfl. Furthermore, in the 1820s, Jozef Javurek (1756-1840), also a Czech pianist, gave Chopin piano lessons. Even as a child, Chopin also performed works by Czech composers, such as Vojtěch Jírovec. In his adult life, Chopin maintained contacts with eminent Czech musicians, such as Josef Slavík (1806-1833) and Josef Dessauer (1798-1876).

Fryderyk Chopin had the opportunity to visit Bohemia four times in 1829, 1830, 1835 and 1836. During these journeys, he visited cities and regions such as Prague, Cieplice (Czech: Teplice) and Duchcov, as well as the spas at Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně. His first visits to Prague, part of a trip to Vienna, are documented through entries in the Prager Zeitung of 23 August 1829 and 23 November 1830.

One of the first Czech towns that Chopin visited was Cieplice, where, on 25 August 1829, at the request of the Aldringen family, owners of the local castle, he played an impromptu concert. Chopin returned to Cieplice during his subsequent travels, emphasising his interest in this spa town.

The composer also had the opportunity to visit historical sites, such as Loket Castle and Děčín Castle, belonging to Count František Antonín Thun, with whom Chopin became friends in 1834. The visit took place in September 1835 and resulted in the creation of the Děčín Waltz and one of the rooms in the castle was dedicated to the composer.

However, it was Karlovy Vary that set the scene for one of the most romantic episodes in Chopin's life, when his love for Maria Vodzińska was born in this town in 1836. It was then that her sketches and portraits depicting the composer were created.

Chopin's visits to Bohemia were not only occasions for relaxation and social gatherings, but also important moments in his artistic and personal life, which left a lasting mark both on his work and on the memory of the places he visited. Above all, however, Chopin's music reached Bohemia and became popular there. As early as 1836 in Prague, thanks to the outstanding pianist Alexander Dreyšok, who performed Chopin's Concerto in E minor. Experts point to the influence that Chopin's work may have had on the works of Bedřich Smetana, considered the father of Czech national music.

Chopin's relationship with the Czech Republic and, above all, the romantic theme of his affection for Marianna Wodzińska were reflected in literature, both Polish and Czech. Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, Jerzy Broszkiewicz and Juliusz Kaden-Bandrowski are just some of the authors who referred to Chopin's life and work in their works. In the Czech Republic, on the other hand, it was Kamil Bednář, who, in his book Chopin v Mariánský Lázních (Chopin in Mariánské Lázně) from 1962, tells the story of Chopin's stay in Mariánské Lázně, complemented by illustrations by Ludmila Jiřincova depicting, among other things, the composer himself.

Frederic Chopin's legacy in the Czech Republic is still alive and appreciated, thanks to various initiatives and venues that continue his musical legacy. One of the most notable events is the Chopin Music Festival held in Mariánské Lázně, which attracts lovers of Chopin's works from all over the world. In addition, Mariánské Lázně boasts the Frederic Chopin Museum, which pays tribute to the composer and his connection to the place.

The Czech Republic is also home to commemorative plaques that commemorate various stages of Chopin's life and work. In Prague, the National Museum holds the original of the 'Prague Mazurka in G major' from 1829, a priceless testimony to his stay in the city. In Cieplice, on the other hand, you can find a plaque on the piano on which Chopin performed in 1829, adding a historical dimension to the place.

Unfortunately, not all the artefacts associated with Chopin have stood the test of time. In 1945, during the evacuation of Děčín, both the piano on which Chopin performed and the manuscript of the Děčín waltz were lost, representing a loss to cultural heritage.

The history of Chopin's sojourn in the Czech Republic is described in detail in the text 'Chopin monuments in the Czech Republic' by Vytautas Straus, published on the chopin.pl website.

Objects connected with Fryderyk Chopin in the Czech Republic

1. plaque commemorating Chopin's stay in Karlovy Vary

Date of unveiling: 4 July 1908. (removed in the 1970s, due to its poor state of preservation, and placed again probably in the 1990s, it was stolen in 2003 and replaced by a replica in 2007)

Creator: Antoni Popiel, authors of the replica Marcel Hron and sculptor Michaela Absolonov

Inscription: FRYDERYK CHOPIN / 1835 //.

Description: Marble plaque with a bas-relief portrait medallion with a bust of Chopin. Rectangular in the upper part tapering, closed with a gable. On the sides and at the bottom with rectangular cut-outs, the cut-out at the bottom decorated with a cube-shaped frieze. At the top, a geometrised lyre shape inscribed into the panel. In the centre, inscribed within it is a bronze medallion framed by a laurel wreath, with a representation of Chopin's bust shown in left profile. The wreath in convex relief, the bust in flat relief. Below the medallion on the plaque is an engraved inscription, the letters filled in with gold paint. There are four copper buttons on the plaque. The monument is located in the spa forest by the 'Chopin trail'.

Additional information: The plaque was created on the initiative of the Viennese MP, Włodzimierz Gniewoski, who set up a committee to build monuments to Chopin and Mickiewicz and started a collection for this purpose. Originally, the bust was to be placed on the house "Under the Golden Rose" No. 141 in Vřídelní Street, where Chopin lived in 1835.

A plaque on the site of the Hotel "Černý kůň" ("Black Horse"), where Chopin stayed in 1829 and 1830.

Location: Prague

Date of unveiling: 1961 r.

Creator: Maria Durasova

Inscription: FRYDERYK / CHOPIN / TVŮRCE POLSKÉ NÁRODNÍ HUDBY / BYDLIL V ROCE 1829 A 1830 V DOMĔ / KTERÝ STÁVAL V TĔCHTO MÍSTECH //. (Frédéric Chopin, the creator of Polish national music, lived in 1829 and 1830 in a house which was located on this site, year of writing 1961).

Description: Rectangular plaque, bronze, of varying depth, giving the impression of being slightly wavy, with a rough border in the upper part. With a frontal representation of a bust of Chopin at an early age made in deep relief. Chopin is depicted with expressive facial features, slightly wavy hair and a kerchief tied around his neck. Below, an inscription executed in relief, in polished gold lettering.

3 The Chopin Museum at the given guesthouse " Under the White Swan"

Location: Mariánské Lázně

Date of opening: 1960 r.

On 31 July 1902, two plaques made of dark granite from Silesia commemorating Chopin were unveiled on the building, with inscriptions in Czech, Polish and French stating that Chopin had lived in this house in 1836. And indeed, Chopin spent several weeks there, accompanying his fiancée Maria Wodyńska and her family. The plaques were made in Cracow. The initiative to place them on the building came from the Warsaw Music Society. The plaques were created from public contributions and were placed on both sides of the entrance to the building. Since 1952, the building has been the Chopin House, and since 10 June 1959, it has housed one of the oldest Chopin Societies. In 1959, a bronze plaque commemorating Chopin's stay at the spa was placed in front of the entrance, with a profile representation of Chopin's head, which is a simplified version of the representation of Antoni Popiel in Karlovy Vary, and the inscription: ZDE ŽIL 1836 / FRYDERYK CHOPIN / TVŮRCE POLSKÉ / NÁRODNÍ HUDBY // (Here Fryderyk Chopin, the creator of Polish national music, lived in 1836). The plaque was created by the sculptor A. Kuchař. The museum was opened in 1960 and the creators of the first exposition were Josef Vlčka and the painter Osvald Klapper. The building underwent reconstruction in 1974-1977 and 2021-2023, the re-opening of the exposition is planned from 2024. The museum houses, among other things, a plaster cast of the composer's left hand and a copy of his posthumous mask, a medallion with the composer's bust and other small mementos. The Chopin Society has another important accent connected with its activities: the posters that accompanied its successive editions, designed by well-known Czech graphic artists such as Osvald Kapper and Jiří Anderle.

Plaque on the Chopin School

Location: Mariánské Lázně

Date of unveiling 1978

Creator: Vítězslav Eibl

Inscription: LIDOVÁ ŠKOLA UMĚNÍ / F. CHOPINA //.

Description: The composition consists of two separate plaques. The upper one features a bust of Chopin and the lower one a flat relief inscription. Both plaques are rectangular, the upper one vertically positioned, the lower one, smaller and horizontal, made of bronze. On the upper one, a bust of the composer in flat relief, in slight profile, facing right. The image is characterised by delicate but clear features, such as the carefully defined lines of the face, the hair and the clothing. The hair is of medium length, arranged in smooth strands. The clothing appears to be a frock-coat top, with a knotted fly visible under the neck.

Additional information: The school was founded in 1926 and was named after Fryderyk Chopin in 1978.

5. monument to Fryderyk Chopin

Location: Mariánské Lázně

Time of construction: 1960 r.

Creator: Karl Otáhal

Inscription: FRYDERYK CHOPIN / 1810 - 1849 / K 150. VÝROČÍ NAROZENÍ / GENIÁLNÍHO POLSKÉHO / SKLADATELE NA PAMĚŤ / JEHO POBYT V NAŠEM / MĚSTĚ V ROCE 1836 / ON THE OCCASION OF THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY / OF THE BIRTH / OF THE BRILLIANT / POLISH / COMPOSER IN MEMORY / OF / HIS STAY IN OUR / TOWN IN 1836 //.

Below a smaller inscription referring to the restoration of the monument in 1989, at which time the old plaque was replaced by a new one): OBNOVENO PÉČÍ MĚST. N.V. / MARIÁNSKÝCH LÁZNI 1989 //.

Inscription on the medallion: FRYDERYK CHOPIN - * 22.2.1810 ŽELAZOWA / WOLA + 17.X. 1849 IN PARIS

Description: monument in the form of a boulder on a pedestal. On the front of the boulder is a rectangular metal plaque with a cast inscription. In its upper part, a medallion is inserted extending above the height of the plaque. In the medallion is a bust of the composer framed by an inscription. The image shows Chopin's profile, facing to the right. His features are delicately outlined.

6 Monument to Frederic Chopin

Location: Bohumin

Time of creation: 1962 r.

Inscriptions: on the plaque - FRYDERYK CHOPIN //, on the tablet - Měst. N.V. - PZKO / 1962 //.

Description: Monument in the form of a boulder (sandstone), with a metal plaque on the front with Chopin's head shown in profile, facing left, and an inscription below. Beneath the plaque, a second plaque of black magmatic rock (diorite?) with an engraved inscription in gold-filled letters.

Libor Martinek, 'Literature reflecting on Frederic Chopin's visits to the spa towns ofwestern Bohemia', 'Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Litteraria Polonica' 2019, no. 1(52), pp. 325-345.

Dita Hradecká, 'Chopin in the Czech Republic. It's so a bit of ours too", Everything Most Important portal, publ. 26.06.2022, accessed 30.03.2024, https://wszystkoconajwazniejsze.pl

J. Prochazka, "Fryderyk Chopin v Karlových Varech - Třetí Chopinova cesta do Čech v roce 1835", Karlovy Vary 1952.

I. Grzesiuk-Olszewska, A.K. Olszewski, "Monuments of Fryderyk Chopin", Warsaw 2017.

Witold Straus, "Chopin monuments in the Czech Republic", Chopin.pl portal, accessed 30.03.2024, https://www.chopin.pl .