Timișoara, located in western Romania, has a rich history of cultural assimilation and was once the capital of a Turkish pashalik. The city is notable for its early innovations, such as the first electrical lighting in a European city in 1884 and the first horse-drawn tram in Romania in 1869. In 1989, Timișoara was a pivotal site for the Romanian Revolution against communism, becoming the first city to declare freedom from the regime.