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Two Toledos

History of Toledo, Spain 540-1936

Toledo, Spain has a much longer history than

that of its sister city, Toledo, Ohio. Spanish tradition has the founding of the city dated as 540 B.C.E. under the original moniker of Toledoth. The city has also been known as Tulaytulah (Muslim rule) and Toletum (Roman rule).

Toledo has been under the rule of various empires and nations. The original rulers of the region were the Phoenicians from the Middle East (now Syrian and Jordan). Toledo has also been ruled by the Moors,

the Visigoths, various other Germanic tribes, and later incorporated into Spain. The famous city walls of the city were begun during the

Roman rule of the city and completed after the Moors took control. Many of the original buildings from the Roman and Moorish rule of the city have not survived the various rulers of the city. Currently, only the Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz (Mosque of Our Lord of Light, see the image to the right), which was built in the 10th century, is the oldest structure in the city.

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During the Middle Ages, Toledo was a center of cultural peace, with Jews, Christians, and Muslim cultures all co-existing in one region. Although the region continued to excel in metalworking, which dates back to Roman times, the region was also known for its textiles. Another major industry in the region was the Archbishopric, which spurred the growth of the city and the construction of the various large churches and religious icons in the city. The city continued to prosper until 1565, when Phillip decided to move the Spanish government north to Madrid. Within 50 years, the population of the city was halved.

There was a brief revival of the city during the 19th century, as military industry and hospitals moved into the region.

With the various wars during the 19th century (Wars of Independence and the 1868 revolution) the city sustained heavy damage. After the revolution, the city once again began the process of re-inventing itself.

This would continue until the Spanish Civil War. The province of Toledo would play a large symbolic part at the beginning of the war with the battle and siege of Alcázar (left). In Toledo, Nationalist troops had sequestered themselves inside the Alcázar. Although the city of Toledo lacked any strategic importance, the Republican army continued to use siege tactics against the beleaguered Nationalist forces. For multiple months,

the small garrison of Nationalists was able to stave off to Republican army. This long siege brought extensive damage to the Alcázar, which would be repaired after the war.

This defiance prompted Nationalist General Francisco Franco to declare himself Generalismo and led to an assault on Madrid. The brutal siege of Madrid last for three years, only coming to an end after the war had concluded.

In the post-war period, the Alcázar was rebuilt and currently houses the Castilla-La Mancha Regional Library ("Biblioteca Autonómica") and the Museum of the Army ("Museo del Ejército").

History of Toledo, Ohio 1600-1945

The name of the Maumee valley came from the Miami nation, which resided in the region for a

very short time. The name of the valley comes from the French pronunciation of the name of the nation, Maumee.

At one point in the history of the area that would become Toledo, Ohio, the region was actually under Spanish control. This would be short-lived and eventually, the land fell under French rule. The French had previously staked a claim to the land in the late 16th century following the expeditions of Jacques Cartier. The first American settlers did not make it to the area until the mid 18th century with the creation of fur trading outposts along the Erie.

Toledo, Ohio has gone by many names in its relatively short life. The area has gone by the names Ft. Industry, Ft. Lawrence, as well as Vistula.

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By the mid 19th century tensions between the newly independent Americans and their native neighbors came to a boil nationally and in the Maumee Valley region. With the onset of the War of 1812, hostilities between the United States and the British and their native American allies commenced throughout North America. In Ohio, the siege and eventual American victory at Ft. Meigs proved to be an important morale booster for the young nation after the defeat of US forces at Detroit and Frenchtown (Monroe, MI). Not only did the victory halt the advance of Tecumseh and the British forces, it also gave the United States a well fortified base of operations in the "west."

With the end of the War of 1812 and the Indian removal policies of President Andrew Jackson, the Toledo area began to thrive. Pt. Lawrence, built upon by the existing town of Ft. Industry and on the site that would eventually be renamed Toledo around 1833, was unfortunately claimed by two states due to inconsistencies in the drawing of the Ohio and Michigan (then a territory) borders. After a series of tense stand-offs and one casualty, the Toledo War ended after one year with the compromise that gave the Michigan territory its Upper Peninsula and Ohio the strip of land that was Toledo.

Their naming of the city of Toledo has been attributed to two individuals, former Vistula merchant Willard J. Daniels and James Irvin Doyle. Neither story has yet to be proven either correct or false.

With the addition of various canals and the railroad, Toledo would boom during the next century, growing as an industrial powerhouse in conjunction with the growth of Detroit. With the boom in industry came a boom in immigrants to the area, many from Europe and elsewhere. Toledo was also a center for the progressive movement in the Midwest, as mayors Samuel "Golden Rule" Jones and Brand Whitlock brought reform, parks, improvements in education, and other progressive changes to the city.

Due to the large amounts of industry in Toledo, the Great Depression hit the city incredibly hard. This economic downturn would last until the dawn of World War II, in which the city converted many of its consumer based industries to the war time production of Jeeps by Willys-Overland, aircraft, and other military supplies.

Source: Porter, Tana Mosier. Toledo Profile: A Sesquintennial History . Toledo Sesquintennial Commission. Toledo, OH. 1987.

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Association of Two Toledos (1931-1995)

The first instance where the two cities of Toledo, Ohio

and Toledo, Spain met occurred in 1876. The swords were presented to the American delegation that visited with the delegation from Toledo, Spain. These swords are now located in the Canaday Center at the University of Toledo.

Fifty years after the first visit between the two cities, a new movement to unite the two cultures began anew. The Association of Two Toledos

began in the 1920's, when University of Toledo President Henry Doermann visited Spain as an affiliate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and History in Toledo, Spain. (Photographs Dr. Doermann took of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel's coat of arms inspired the University's official seal.)

At the same time, Russell G.C. Brown, a Spanish teacher at Waite and DeVilbiss high schools, encouraged the students in his Spanish clubs to correspond with students studying English in Toledo, Spain. Dr. Doermann and Mr. Brown, together with the Toledoans they had met during their travels in Spain formed the Committee on Relations with Toledo, Spain in 1931. Dr. Doermann and Russell Brown led the organization in Toledo, Ohio, while Toledo, Spain's mayor, Guillermo Perezagua and Adoracion Comez Camarero, editor of the city's newspaper, led the organization in Toledo, Spain.

In 1934, a delegation was sent from Toledo, Ohio to Toledo, Spain. "Fiesta Week" in Toledo, Ohio corresponded with the trip. The celebration included an exhibition of Spanish art at

the Toledo Museum of Art. A delegation from Toledo, Spain planned to visit Ohio in 1937 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Toledo, Ohio, but the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and World War II disrupted those plans.

The Committee remained inactive until 1958. However, informal communications were maintained between Russell Brown of the American committee and Pablo Rodriguez of the Spanish committee. In 1962, a group from Toledo, Spain finally visited Toledo, Ohio as part of the celebration of Toledo, Ohio's 125-year history. In 1965, twenty-eight area high school students visited Toledo, Spain. A scholarship encouraging inter-cultural education was

established in honor of Russell Brown in the late 1960's. A similar scholarship was established in Toledo, Spain in 1971, thereby starting an exchange program. Sister Cities International recognized the Toledo, Ohio branch of the Committee for this exchange program by awarding it the Town Affiliation Award in 1962 and an award for the "best people-to-people project" for fundraising to support the scholarship program.

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In 1976, a delegation from Toledo, Spain again came to Toledo, Ohio, this time to celebrate the United States bicentennial. The two branches celebrated the 50th anniversary of their relationship in 1981 with a yearlong celebration in Toledo, Ohio. In 1982, the members voted to change the name of the organization from "Committee on Relations with Toledo, Spain" to "Association of Two Toledos." That same year, the Association sponsored an exhibit at the Toledo Museum of Art of works by El Greco.

After several years of legal and political battles with Toledo Sister Cities International over the rights to represent Toledo, Ohio in its official

Sister City capacity, The Association Two Toledos ended their association with Toledo, Spain and Sister Cities International in 1995.

Toledo Sister Cities International (1993-Present)

The fiftieth anniversary of the Sister City arrangement of the

two cities was celebrated in both cities throughout 1981. The celebration in the United States included various banquets (this event occurring on April 16, 1981), art exhibits, multiple symphony performances, a "Sapphire Ball," as well as a reception at the White House.

One major art exhibit that toured the United States and part of Europe was the "El Greco of Toledo: An International Exhibition." The exhibit highlighted the works of famous Toledoan painter El Greco (1541-1614), who specialized in painting and murals designed for churches and some wealthy private citizens. The art exhibit was also on display at the Dallas Museum of Fine Art, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

The festivities for the year concluded with a "Recognition Brunch" on December 6, 1981. The official letter from the Association of the Two Toledos commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the Sister City Alliance (next page).

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Toledo Sister Cities International (1993-Present)

In 1992, the sister city agreements of Toledo, Ohio were given to the Toledo Sister Cities International (TSCI), a partnership of various city of Toledo branches of government.

Although the partnership between Toledo, Ohio and Toledo, Spain began in the 1930's, it was not until 1967 that an international entity, Sister Cities International (SCI) was created. SCI was created in response to massive increase in Sister City agreements, some of which we spurred along by a president

proclamation made by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The TSCI was created by a group effort between various branches of the City of Toledo, Ohio

and Lucas County. SCI was officially incorporated in the Toledo city government in 1993. The mission of the TSCI, as taken from their mission statement on their website [was, at the time of writing this essay]:

Toledo Sister Cities International (TSCI) is a not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization dedicated to enriching our community through the spirit of international cooperation. We provide, promote, and invite global understanding through mutually beneficial economic, educational, and cultural exchange. In 2002, Toledo, Ohio hosted the "Sister Cities Annual Conference," which brought together

more than 700 Sister City participants from across the globe. Currently, Toledo Sister Cities International maintains the sister city agreements with the cities

chosen prior to the organizations creation, as well as the six sister city agreements they have fostered, as well as the various other relationships created by the organization.

Two Toledos, 2007

Toledo, Ohio

Much has changed in the two Toledos during the seven decades since their union. Toledo, Ohio has been revitalized during the past twenty years. The downtown area, once booming and during the Depression a ghost town, has been the focus of a massive revitalization effort. Older buildings have been torn down and replaced with modern ones.

The buildings that were spared have been rezoned and modernized and now house restaurants, bars, and other entertainment and commercial endeavors. Toledo's borders have also grown. As the population began

to increase, the city began to annex neighboring towns and villages, annexing ten thousand people in thirteen

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annexations in 1950 alone. In 1967, the University of Toledo was added to the state university system of the state of Ohio.

The growth was not without its growing pains. Labor and political issues sparked protests and marches, various urban renewal projects drained funds, Mother nature also played a part in shaping Toledo history. On Palm Sunday in 1965, a tornado tore through North Toledo, killing 14 and injuring almost 200. Later, blizzards in 1977 and 1978, with record low temperatures and snowfall accumulations crippled the city.

Over the past twenty years, the city has continued to grow. Two minor league sports team now inhabit the city and the revitalization of the downtown and riverfront continues to beautify and modernize Toledo.

Toledo, Spain

The past half century has also seen the revitalization of Toledo, Spain as well. After the Spanish Civil War, Toledo was relatively stagnant during the Franco regime.

With the coming of democracy in the late 1970's Toledo once again began to regain some of its past glory. The first Spanish capital city was a capital once again, this time of the Castilla La Mancha region, one of the 17 newly created areas that resemble federal states.

Here are various reviews and other news items about the recent documentary, Two Toledos. The film was a collaborative work by local filmmakers Joel Robert Washing & Jacob David of Toledo, OH. The film commemorates the

75th anniversary of the Sister City partnership between Toledo, Ohio and Toledo, Spain. The documentary centers on the two distinct in style, yet similar in thought, art communities in Toledo, Ohio and Toledo, Spain. The main vehicle for telling the story of the two Toledo's art scenes is interviews with artists in both communities.

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Quick Facts about the Toledo Sister Cities International

Sister Cities, Toledo Ohio

Toledo, Spain*, 1931

Londrina, Brazil, 1975

Qinhuangdao, China, 1985

Szeged, Hungary, 1990

Poznan, Poland, 1990

Csongrád County, Hungary, 1998

Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 1999

Toyohashi, Japan, 2000

Tanga, Tanzania, 2001

Delmenhorst, Germany, 2002

*First sister city agreement.

Friendship Cities of Toledo, Ohio

Banja-Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Nikopol, Ukraine

Po-Hang, South Korea

Tomsk, Russia

Sister Cities, Toledo Spain

Toledo, Ohio*, 1931

Aachen, Germany

Nara, Nara, Japan

Havana, Cuba

Jerusalem, Israel

Statistical Comparison

Toledo, Ohio Toledo, Spain

Population (2005) 301,285 75,578

Size 1,502.0 square km 232.1 square km

Year Founded 1831 CE 540 BCE

Major Industries Glass, Auto, Medical Metal working, Textiles

Language English Spanish

Phonetic Spelling Toe-lee-doh Toe-lay-doh

UNESCO World Heritage Site No Yes

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Artifacts at the Canaday Center

These are only a few of the artifacts located in the Canaday Center that trace their history to the

more than 100 year old relationship between Toledo, Spain and Toledo, Ohio.

Scrapbook from the original trip to Toledo, Spain. The scrapbook details the entire trip by the delegation from Toledo, Ohio. (left)

This sword, which measures almost seven feet in height and weighs nearly 70lbs, was given to the Association of Two Toledos by Toledo, Spain in 1976. (right)

Commemorative black marble plaque given to the first delegation from Toledo, Ohio during their 1934 trip to Spain. (above)