Zvonimir Toldi was born in 1944 in Vinkovci. He spent his childhood in Babina Greda, and went to secondary school in Slavonski Brod. He studied ethnology and history at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb. From 1968 he worked in the Museum of Brodsko Posavlje, where he collected an important ethnological collection and founded a rich photographic collection of 10,000 positives and negatives. He produced numerous exhibitions, the best known being: Folk footwear, 1972; Girls’ Sprays, 1975; Male Folk Costume, 1978; Child and Its World, 1979; Silk Cultivation, 1980; Small Folk Furniture, 1984; Decorating with Mirrors, 1982; Self-Taught Chairs, 1988; Embroidered White Cushion, 1989; Weavers of the Parish of Podcrkavlje, 1997. He published a number of ethnological articles and texts about the history of Slavonski Brod. He wrote the books: Razigrani doro, 198.; Stihom od Berave do Orljave, 1985; Nek se spominje i pamti I (1987) and II (1994) ; Brod na Savi - dva zlatna doba, 1991; Dvoje leglo troje osvanulo, 1999; Duni vjetre ladovane, 2003; and others.
He is a member of the Expert Committee of the International Folklore Festival in Zagreb, of the Brodsko kolo Folklore Festival, the assessment committee at the Đakovački vezovi and the event Youth and Beauty of Slavonia, Stari Mikanovci.
He has been involved in several television productions. A documentary film called Anyone who minded would be mad was made after his book Duni vjetre ladovane in 2006, and won a special commendation at the 15th International Festival of Ethnological Films in Belgrade.
He has won many prizes and awards for his work: Herder Prize, 1970; Slavonski Brod Medal, 1983; Brod Liberation Prize, 1990; Order of the Croatian Daystar with Figure of Marko Marulić, 1996; Order of Croatian Pleter (Interlacing), 1996; Annual City Prize-Berislavić Shield, 2000.

NB. Data taken from the questionnaire, material taken from the Personnel Archives of the MDC, and from an interview recorded on October 24, 2002.