IASI

judet (county), northeastern Romania, occupying an area of 2,112 square miles (5,469 square km), and bounded on the east by Moldova. The southward-flowing Prut River marks the county's eastern border with Moldova, and the Siret River drains the hilly terrain of the county to the south. Iasi county was a part of feudal Moldavia. Iasi city is the county capital and has chemical, textile, and food industries. Building materials are produced in Ciurea and Hrlau, and machinery factories operate in Pascani. The county's agricultural activities consist of cereal cultivation and livestock raising. Ciric, located north of Iasi, is a boating resort. A fortified monastery, situated south of Iasi city, was founded by Prince Duca in 1672. Raducaneni, Madirjac, and Sipote are other towns. Brnova Forest and the natural monument of Repdea Hill, containing fossiliferous rocks, are notable features of the area. A university and several technical and professional institutes are found in Iasi. Highways and railway connections extend through Iasi, Trgu Frumos, and Pascani. An airport is located near Iasi city. Pop. (1990 est.) 815,900. German Jassy, city, capital of Iasi judet (county), northeastern Romania. It is situated on the Bahlui River near its confluence with the Prut, in the Moldavian plain, 8 miles (13 km) west of the border with Moldova and 200 miles northeast of Bucharest. There were recognizable settlements at the site in the 7th century. The town received its German name (perhaps from the Cuman jagers, or bowmen) in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, when it became a fortified customs post on the trade routes along the Prut Valley. In the mid-15th century it became a residence of the prince of Moldavia. From 1565 to 1862, after the union of the Romanian principalities, it was the capital of Moldavia. Iasi was sacked several times by Turks, Tatars, and Poles, was burned to the ground on one occasion, and suffered a plague in 1734; but it endured as a cultural and economic centre. In 1641, Prince Vasile Lupu established a school and set up a printing press in the Byzantine church of the Trei Ierarhi (Three Hierarchs), built 163539, from which the first book printed in Moldavia was issued. Other historical buildings include the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (founded 1860), the church of St. Nicholas built by Stephen (Stefan) the Great in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre (1894), and the flamboyant neo-Gothic Palace of Culture (finished 1929). The city has several educational and research institutes and a branch of the Academy of Romania. It has good road and rail connections and an expanding industry, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and textiles. Pop. (1989 est.) 330,195.