SIERADZ  , a

town of, Russian Poland, in the government of Kalisz, situated on the Warta, r to 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 seines, 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 lath and 14th centuries respectively .