From the Smithsonian Magazine site:
June 26, 1963: “Ich bin ein Berliner”
In West Berlin, President John F. Kennedy delivers the famous speech in which he declares, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” Meaning literally “I am a citizen of Berlin,” the statement shows U.S. solidarity with democratic West Berlin, surrounded by communist territory.
View a video of President Kennedy’s speech at American Rhetoric, Top 100 Speeches.
Photo of President Kennedy addressing Berlin’s citizens, photographer unidentified; from American Rhetoric site.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
Hey guys,
stop publishing about things you don’t know nothing about.
“Ich bin ein Berliner” is grammatically correct. “Ich bin Berliner” would not have been grammatically incorrect, but less appropriate in the situation (it’s more appropriate as an answer to the question “where are you from?”).
What Kennedy said was NOT a faux pas, it can be translated in two ways because the word Berliner has two meanings in German:
1) An inhabitant of the City of Berlin.
2) “Berliner” also refers to a piece of bakery similar to a jelly filled doughnut. See http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Berliner-Pfannkuchen.jpg
Just like a “Hamburger” can either be an inhabitant of the city of Hamburg or a meat sandwich. Same with “Wiener”. Or “Amerikaner” – in German it’s either an American (citizen of the U.S.A.) or a piece of bakery similar to a black and white cookie without the black.
There is no way of saying either on or the other, it’s up to the listener’s / reader’s logic to differentiate.
And the Berliner (->citizens of Berlin) cheered not because they understood that Kennedy thought he was a jelly doughnut. They knew what he was saying, as opposed to you guys (excluded Darrel, you actually seem to have a clue).
Guys, he was standing mere *feet aways from the Iron Curtain*, the border between the UdSSR and NATO – in a city that the sovjets had tried to take over a couple of times before (i.e. the Berlin Blockade -> raisin bombers).
What he was saying is: Any aggression against Berlin (more exactly West Berlin; East Berlin was under Sovjet control since the end of WW II) would be interpreted by the United States as an act of aggression against the U.S., thus leading to full retaliation.
He was pledging allegiance to Berlin.
It’s also notable that, since the speech was held in such close proximity to East Berlin (-> Sovjet Union) it could be heard by the inhabitants of East Berlin.
I know this not because some friend of mine has told me that a friend of his has told him (listen to your reasoning!) but because I actually *AM* German. It’s my native tongue.
Next time, consider doing some research before publishing.
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lol it actually meant it “I am a donut” but i don’t agree with this nonsense.
The way he addressed the citizens was in a casual manner not formal…
I knew about this since I learn German in class for my studies in culture and
history because I’m going to write a famous book probably better than
LOTR but I honor JRR Tolkien and somehow i want to include worldly wonders
of this Earth…anyways I am 15 years old from New Zealand, Wellington
and I attend Naenae College.
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It actually does translate to “I’m a jelly doughnut.” “Ich bin Berliner” would have been grammatically correct, but it doesn’t have the sought-after cadence.
I joke about JFK’s faux pas, but everyone knew what JFK was saying: Ich bin eins mit den Berliner. I am one with the Bernliners.
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Regional affectation, I understand — but the rhetorical critics claim that the quick and loud reaction of the crowd reflects more than a few guffaws over the statement that way. I heard a piece on NPR in the last couple of weeks, and the German “expert” said that Berliners knew what Kennedy meant, and that’s what they reacted to. I’ve blogged about it before, here: Berlin Wall’s 45th.
Thanks for the more explicit explanation; you obviously speak German; are you, perhaps, also from Berlin?
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Actually, the literal meaning of the “Ich bin ein Berliner” is “I am a jelly roll.” similar to saying “I am a Danish” rather than “I am Danish.” He should have said, “Ich bin Berliner.” I am assuming it got such a big cheer because how many presidents are so honest in a public speech?
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