He returned by Constantinople, Lemberg, and Cracow, to Munich, his native city, in 1427, after an absence of thirty-two years.
Schildbergcer was a man entirely destitute of education, and consequently was ill able to describe the wonders of the countries he passed through. By whom the German narrative of his travels was composed, we know not; probably he had a friend, to whom he dictated it from memory on his return. His work, notwithstanding many disfigurements and false accounts, is still important, more particularly for the later epoch of the Chanat of the Golden Horde, and well deserves a critical revision and explanation.
Schildberger’s journal of travels appears in the following editions—
Hie vachet an d’Schildberger der vil wunders erfaren hatt in der heydenschafft vnd in d’ Türkey. Without place or date. (Perhaps Ulm, 1477.) Fol. With wood-cuts.
Frankf. a. M., 1549, 4to. In somewhat different orthography.
Ein wunderbarlich history wie Schildberger aus München von den Türken in die heydenschafft geführet und wieder heimgekommen ist. Nürnberg (no date), 4to.
Eine wunderbarliche und kürtzweylige Histori wie Schildberger einer aus der Stadt München in Bayern von der Türken gefangen inn die haydenschafft gefüret und wider heym gekommen. Item, was sich für Krieg, vund wunderbarlicher thaten dieweyl er in die haydenschafft gewesen zugetragen gantz kürtzweylig zu lesen. Frankfort, durch Wigand Hanen Erben (about 1554), 8vo.
Magdeburg, 1606, 8vo.
Johan Schildberger’s Reise in den Orient und wunderbare