Sieradz

Sieradz, a town of Russian Poland, in the government of Kalisz, situated on the Warta, 110 m. S.W. of the city of Warsaw. Pop. (1897) 7019. It is one of the oldest towns of Poland, founded prior to the introduction of Christianity, and was formerly known as Syra or Syraz. The annals mention it in 1139. Several seims, or diets, of Poland were held there during the 13th to 15th centuries, and it was a wealthy town until nearly destroyed by a fire in 1447. The old castle, which suffered much in the Swedish war of 1702-1711, was destroyed by the Germans in 1800. There are two churches, dating from the 12th and 14th centuries respectively.