Learn about Muscatine’s 8 sister cities (in 8 different countries!)

Muscatine, Iowa, has eight sister cities around the world. Find out how these international destinations foster understanding in southeastern Iowa. 

For nearly four decades, Muscatine has worked to foster international connections around the globe for its citizens. Led by the Muscatine Sister Cities organization, eight sister city relationships have developed in eight countries worldwide. The organization started in 1986 with a mission to “offer the people of Muscatine and of similar cities in other nations opportunities to get acquainted; to understand one another as individuals, as members of their community, as citizens of their country, and as part of the family of nations.” And their work hasn’t stopped since.

Read on to learn more about the eight communities Muscatine has bonded with so far. And stay tuned in the months and years to come as the organization is always looking to partner with other communities. (Currently, they are working on forming a sister city partnership in Liberia!) 

1. Paraná, Argentina

This city is located along the eastern shore of the Paraná River (much like Muscatine is located on the banks of the Mississippi  River) and is the capital city of the Entre Ríos province. Though its population of 268,000+ people is considerably larger than Muscatine—which contains just over 23,000 people—the cities have forged a sister-city relationship since 1986, shortly after the Muscatine Sister Cities organization was started. The partnership was formed as many immigrants from the Parana Entre Ríos region settled in Muscatine after coming to the United States, creating strong cultural connections. 

Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Germany. (Losch/CC BY-SA 3.0)

2. Ludwigslust, Germany

This German city is known as a castle town and today boasts nearly 13,000 residents. Located in the northern part of the country, Ludwigslust has been a sister city of Muscatine since 1986 as well. The city, which was established in 1724, is very charming and often draws visitors to the famed Ludwigslust Palace, known as Versailles of the North. While you won’t find any castles in Muscatine.

3. Ichikawamisato, Japan

Muscatine is also a sister city of Ichikawamisato, Japan, which is located in Yamanashi Prefecture. The city has some 15,000 residents, making it a bit smaller than Muscatine. While their winters are milder than those here in Iowa, Ichikawamisato also experiences hot and humid summers. One way connection to Ichikawamisato continues in Muscatine is a bell-ringing ceremony held to honor a peaceful partnership and commemorate the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, including a moment of silence to honor those lives lost. 

4. Ramallah, Palestine

Ramallah, Palestine, is located in the central West Bank and is considered the de facto capital of the country. It is also considered by some to be the most affluent, liberal, and cultural city in Palestine. This city was founded in the 16th century in the Judean Mountains, putting it at nearly 2,800 feet above sea level. While Muscatine is only about 600 feet above sea level and certainly not mountainous, the sister-city partnership has flourished since being established in 2011. Although it was initially met with opposition, locals in Muscatine with relationships in Ramaallah preserved to create the sister city connection. Over the years, there have been delegate visits, programs to help those in Muscatine learn more about Palestine, and even shared art exhibits created by elementary students in both Muscatine and Ramallah. 

A street in Łomża, Poland. (Patryk Korzeniecki/CC BY-SA 3.0)

5. Łomża, Poland

Muscatine has a prominent Polish immigrant population who played a significant role in the city’s rise to fame as the Pearl Button Capital of the World in the early 1900s, so a connection to a Polish city seems ideal. Enter Łomża, Poland. Located in northeastern Poland, Łomża was founded in the 10th century and now has some 62,000 residents. It shares some similarities to Muscatine today, such as having a furniture factory and food processing plants like Muscatine. The climates are also similar, and Łomża is also located along a river, the Narew. 

6. Kislovodsk, Russia

Kislovodsk, Russia, first became a sister city to Muscatine in 1989, the first partnership between an Iowa city and a Russian city. The love of education that each city had was the foundation for the partnership. Kislovodsk is located in the western part of the country, in the North Caucasus region of Russia, which is located between the Black and Caspian Seas. It is known as a resort town or spa city, thanks to the many mineral springs present in the area. Today, some 128,000 people live there. 

7. Drohobych, Ukraine

Drohobych became a sister city to Muscatine in 1998. Located in the southwestern part of the country, Drohobych was founded in the 11th century as an important trading post. Today, some 73,000 people call the city home. Thanks to their long-standing relationship, Muscatine residents have been working in recent years to show solidarity through light displays and provide aid to those in Drohobych during the current Ukraine-Russia conflict.  

The Longxing Monastery in Zhengding, Hebei, China. (xiquinhosilva/CC BY 2.0)

8. Zhengding, China

This Chinese county is the most recent sister city for Muscatine, as it was added in April 2013. Located in the southwestern Heibi province, it is in the western part of the country at the edge of the North China Plain and the foot of the Taihang Mountains. This sister city relationship has ties to a visit to Muscatine by President Xi Jinping, who was Party chief of Zhengding county in 1985 when he visited to see the city’s corn processing plant and learn about agriculture. On a return visit decades later, Jinping suggested they become sister cities. That has led to much connection including yearly visits to China by students from Muscatine High School. In 2015, the Muscatine Center opened in Jinan, Shandong province. The Muscatine Public Library holds 500 books on Chinese culture, some of which are written in both English and Chinese.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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