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The city of Iaşi is the former capital of the medieval Principality of Moldavia. Second most populous city of Romania, it is located in the North-East of the country. Iasi used to be at the crossroads of the commercial routes that passed through the Principality of Moldavia, reaching the Kingdom of Poland, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Tsardom of Russia and Constantinople.

Population: 400,347 (est. 2009); Area Land: 832 km²; Time zone: CET (UTC+2); Area code(s): +40 (Romania) + 232/332 (IASI)

History

Ancient times:

Archaeological investigations attest the presence of human communities on the present territory of the city and around it as far back as the prehistoric age. Later settlements included those of the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture, a late Neolithic archaeological culture.

Early development:

The name of the city is first officially mentioned in a document about commercial privilege granted by the Moldavian Prince (Voivode) Alexandru cel Bun to the Polish merchants of Lvov in 1408. However, as buildings older than 1408 existed and still exist (for example the Armenian Church originally believed to be built in 1395), it is believed that the city existed long before its first mentioning.

Capital of Moldavia:

The former Royal Court of Moldavia around 1885Around 1564, Prince Alexandru Lăpuşneanu moved the Moldavian capital from Suceava to Iaşi. Between 1561 and 1563, a school and a Lutheran church were founded by the Greek adventurer Prince, Ioan Iacob Heraclid. In 1640, Vasile Lupu established the first school in which the mother-tongue replaced Greek, and set up a printing press in the Byzantine Trei Ierarhi Church (Church of the Three Hierarchs; built 1635–39). In 1643, the first volume ever printed in Moldavia was issued in Iaşi. The city was burned down by the Tatars in 1513, by the Ottomans in 1538, by the Imperial Russian troops in 1686. In 1734, it was hit by the plague. Through the Peace of Iaşi, the sixth Russo-Turkish War was brought to a close in 1792. A Greek revolutionary maneuver and occupation under Alexander Ypsilanti (Αλέξανδρος Υψηλάντης) and the Filiki Eteria (Φιλική Εταιρία) (1821, at the beginning of the Greek War of Independence) led to the storming of the city by the Turks in 1822. In 1844 there was a severe conflagration.

Mid-19th to 20th century:

Between 1564 and 1859, the city was the capital of Moldavia; then, between 1859 and 1862, both Iaşi and Bucharest were de-facto capitals of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. In 1862, when the union of the two principalities was recognized under the name of Romania, the national capital was established in Bucharest. For the loss caused to the city in 1861 by the removal of the seat of government to Bucharest the constituent assembly voted 148,150 lei to be paid in ten annual instalments, but no payment was ever made. During World War I, Iaşi was the capital of a severely reduced Romania for two years, following the Central Powers' occupation of Bucharest on 6 December 1916. The capital was returned to Bucharest after the defeat of Imperial Germany and its allies in November 1918.

Jewish History

Iasi  also figures prominently in Jewish History. Records of Jews exist from the 16th century, and by mid-19th century, the city was at least one-third Jewish. In 1855, it was the home of the first-ever Yiddish-language newspaper, Korot Haitim; in 1876 it was the site of what was arguably the first-ever professional Yiddish theater performance (Abraham Goldfaden). By 1930 there were over 30,000 Jews and over 127 synagogues. During World War II, Iasi was the site of one of the deadliest pogroms, or anti-Jewish riots, in history. After World War II, it played a prominent part in the revival of Yiddish culture in Romania.

World War II:

In May 1944, Iaşi became the scene of ferocious fighting between Romanian-German forces and the advancing Soviet Red Army and the city was partially destroyed. The elite German Division won an impressive defensive victory at the Battle of Târgu Frumos, a location near Iaşi. The battle was the object of several NATO studies during the Cold War. By July, Iaşi had been taken by Soviet forces.

Environment

The city is located between the Iaşi Ridge (Romanian: Coasta Iaşilor) (the northern-most hill formation of the Bârlad Plateau) and the Jijia Plain,The city lies on the Bahlui River, a tributary of the Jijia (tributary of the Prut River). The surrounding country is one of uplands and woods, featuring monasteries ( Cetatuia, Frumoasa, Golia,  Galata, with nearby Nicolina mineral springs), and the dendrologic park of Repedea. Iaşi itself stands amid vineyards and gardens, partly on two hills, partly in the in-between valley.

Climate

Iaşi has a humid, continental-type climate,  with four distinct seasons. Summers are warm with temperatures sometimes exceeding 32 °C (90 °F) while winters are cold and windy with moderate snowfall and temperatures at night sometimes dropping below -10 °C (14 °F). Average monthly precipitation ranges from about 25 mm (1 in) in October to 100 mm (4 in) in June.