Jan Szczęsny Herburt

Jan Szczęsny Herburt (12 January 1567 – 31 December 1616) was a Polish political writer, diplomat and a member of the Polish Sejm. An early supporter of Chancellor Jan Zamoyski, he took part in many diplomatic missions, most notably to Sweden, United Kingdom, the Vatican and the Ottoman Empire. Later he became a strong supporter of King Sigismund III of Poland and eventually his opponent, one of the leaders of the infamous Zebrzydowski Rebellion in 1607 and eventually imprisoned by royalists from 1607 to 1609. Herburt was an author of many rebellion-related and anti-magnate treaties. He was also a founder of the Kudryntsi Castle.

Sketch by Jan Matejko, 1867.

Remains of the Herburt's Castle in Dobromyl

Jan Szczęsny Herburt hailed from a Polonized German-Ruthenian family and called himself as Rusin.[1] Himself being a Roman Catholic, he was an opponent of the Union of Brest and supported the Eastern Orthodox population from Polonization.[1] His initiative of printing the Stanisław Orzechowski annals and Jan Dlugosz chronicles was criticized by the King Sigismund III of Poland and eventually the Orzechowski annals were suspended and the printing house operations in Dobromyl was prohibited.[1]