Rare color photograph of President John Kennedy addressing a crowd in the then-divided city of Berlin, June 26, 1963
Let us remember ties that bind our nations in brotherhood with other nations, including especially the memorable speech of U.S. President John F. Kennedy on June 26, in Berlin, in 1963.
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.
Kennedy’s entire speech was good. It was well drafted and well delivered, taking advantage of the dramatic setting and the dramatic moment. John Kennedy well understood how to give a speech, too.
Below is most of the speech, nearly five minutes’ worth, from a YouTube file — another indication that schools need to open up their filters to allow at least some of the best YouTube material through:
Amazing to look at the massive crowd, and see no magnetometers were in use to check for weapons, and no significant barriers stood between the people and the speakers on the dais. Wouldn’t happen today. O, tempora, o, mores!
You may also want to note these posts:
- “Berlin Wall’s 45th”
- “Berlin Wall’s 46th”
- “Ich bin ein Berliner:” 50th Anniversary of Kennedy’s Speech in Berlin, Germany.info
German government photo and caption: The masses that greeted Kennedy in front of the West Berlin City Hall and throughout the city were jubilant. (© Press and Information Office of the Federal Government; Steiner)
Update: NBC News featured the speech on its network feed this evening.
Yes, this is mostly an encore post. Fighting ignorance requires patience.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
NBC News has a YouTube video of the speech.
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And as a genuine hoax often does, the funny, viral story didn’t arise until years later.
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Those were better days in some ways. President Kennedy represented the U.S. in a classy way on the world stage! Thanks for something positive about government on this Monday.
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