The Fryderyk Chopin Museum holds the world's largest Chopin collection, featuring the composer's last piano, many of his musical manuscripts, and letters, portraits and other objects that together provide a unique insight into his life, music and creative process. The history of the Chopin Museum dates back to 1934, and today it functions under the aegis of the Chopin Institute, set up by parliament in 2001 to safeguard and disseminate the Chopin heritage. The Institute organises concerts and piano competitions, including the International Chopin Competition, and pursues scholarly, educational, publishing and phonographic work. The selection of objects presented in this book is complemented by recordings of Chopin's music, all made on period instruments. Although the objects relate to the composer's biography in a fragmentary way, the selection is designed to enable readers to gain a fuller picture of his music and his character.