Herberstein

Sigismund von Herberstein in Russian dress Siegmund (Sigismund) Freiherr von Herberstein, Regarding personal names: Freiherr is a former title (translated as Baron ), which is now legally a part of the last name.

Background Herberstein was an Austrian diplomat who was twice sent to Russia as Austrian ambassador, in 1517 and 1526.

Research Herberstein developed a keen interest in all things Russian, and researched in several ways: * using his knowledge of Slavic, he questioned a variety of people on a wide range of topics.

Similarly the previously touted ideal of the fairness of the Muscovy monarchy was contrasted with Herberstein's depiction of peasants as being in "a very wretched condition, for their goods are exposed to plunder from the nobility and soldiery".

The evidence suggests that Herberstein was an energetic and capable ethnographer.

What's more, the man who achieved the unification of Muscovy, Ivan III was characterized by Herberstein as a cruel tyrant, drunk, and a misogynist; far from being a ruler of great fairness and equity.

Where others claimed Russians were fanatically loyal to their ruler and treated in return with great fairness, Herberstein saw and wrote differently.