Siret (; ; ; ; ) is a town, municipality and former Latin bishopric in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Bukovina. Siret is the 11th largest urban settlement in the county, with a population of 7,721 inhabitants, according to the 2011 census. It is one of the oldest towns in Romania and was the capital of the medieval Principality of Moldavia during the late 14th century. Furthermore, the town administers two villages: Mănăstioara and Pădureni. Administration and local politics Town council The town's current local council has the following political composition, according to the results of the 2020 Romanian local elections: Geography The town of Siret is located at the north-eastern limit of Suceava County, from the border with Ukraine, being one of the main border passing points in the north of the country, having both a road border post and a rail connection. Vicșani railway station is west of Siret and functions as the border control point for rail crossings between Romania and the border transit station at Vadul-Siret railway station in Ukraine. The rail is on a standard gauge on the Romanian side and continues as a Russian-style broad gauge into Ukraine. Siret is one of the few places in Romania which provides a gauge change equipment, allowing transportation without transfer. Siret is situated at the half distance between Chernivtsi and Suceava, on the right banks of Siret River. The European route E85 crosses the city. History During the period 1211–1225, on a hill near Siret a fortress was built by the Teutonic Knights. The town and the Teutonic castle were destroyed by the Tatars in 1241. The first document of Siret dates back to 1339, according to some historical sources. Seret is mentioned as a Russian city in Wallachia in the List of Russian cities (1370-1390). The town was the capital of the former principality of Moldavia, in the late 14thcentury. The Russian Imperial Army occupied the town in 1770, and, as a consequence, an epidemic of cholera broke out. Together with the rest of Bukovina, Siret was under the imperial rule of the Habsburg monarchy (later Austria-Hungary) from 1775 to 1918. During the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1774-1918) Siret was a city with a number of important Ukrainian institutions (branches of the Ruska Besida in Bukovina and the Ukrainska Shkola society; the Ukrainian Bursa, etc.). During World War II, Siret was