During the Cold War 60 years ago, John F. Kennedy sparked hope with a legendary speech given in West Berlin, after the Berlin Wall came up. West Germany, especially the city of West Berlin, felt that political decision very directly. The crowd cheered and responded with chants of "Kennedy, Kennedy." It did not make it into his speechwriter's manuscript, but on the way to Berlin, Kennedy wrote it himself, phonetically: "Ish bin ein Bearleener." After JFK spoke the iconic phrase, 'Ich bin ein Berliner,' the crowd responded with chants of 'Kennedy, Kennedy' Image: AP Photo/picture allianceBut in fact, with his speech, Kennedy had bolstered West Berlin as a strong-willed island of freedom.

Source: New York Times June 23, 2023 14:17 UTC