John F. Kennedy "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech

E31031

The John F. Kennedy "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech is a famous 1963 Cold War address in West Berlin in which the U.S. president expressed solidarity with the city's residents under Soviet pressure.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Cold War speech
political speech
public address
aim demonstrate resolve against Soviet Union
reassure West Berlin of U.S. commitment
audienceSize hundreds of thousands of people
broadcastOn radio
television
cityHallOf Schöneberg
containsPhrase Ich bin ein Berliner
containsPhraseLanguage German
context Berlin Crisis
Cold War
country West Germany
date 1963-06-26
declaredSolidarityWith citizens of West Berlin
people living under communist pressure
declares "All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin"
deliveredBy John F. Kennedy
deliveredByOffice 35th President of the United States
famousFor emotional reception by Berlin crowd
strong rhetorical defense of freedom
use of German phrase "Ich bin ein Berliner"
hasLegacy commemorated in Berlin historical exhibitions
frequently cited in discussions of U.S.–German relations
studied as classic example of Cold War rhetoric
historicalPeriod early 1960s
post–World War II era
language English
location Berlin
West Berlin
mentions Berlin Wall as symbol of failure of communism
partOf Kennedy's 1963 trip to West Germany
politicalSignificance iconic moment of the Cold War
major anti-communist statement
symbol of American support for West Berlin
precedes Kennedy's American University "Peace" speech in historical memory
relatedToEvent Berlin Crisis of 1961
construction of the Berlin Wall
rhetoricalDevice contrast between free world and communist world
repetition of key phrases
topic Berlin Wall
defense of freedom
division of Berlin
opposition to communism
support for West Berlin
venue Rathaus Schöneberg
year 1963

Referenced by (2)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Rathaus Schöneberg
notableEvent
Schöneberg
notableEventLocation

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