JOHN F. KENNEDY

BERLIN: JUNE 26th 1963

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I am proud to come to this city as the guest of your distinguished Mayor, who has symbolized throughout the world the fighting spirit of West Berlin.

And I am proud -- And I am proud to visit the Federal Republic with your distinguished Chancellor who for so many years has committed Germany to democracy and freedom and progress, and to come here in the company of my fellow American, General Clay, who …  who has been in this city during its great moments of crisis and will come again if ever needed.

Two thousand years ago … Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was "civis Romanus sum." Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner."  (I appreciate my interpreter translating my German.)

There are many people in the world who really don't understand - or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world.

Let them come to Berlin.

There are some who say -- There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future.

Let them come to Berlin.

And there are some who say, in Europe and elsewhere, we can work with the Communists.

Let them come to Berlin.

And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress.

Lass' sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin. 

Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect. But we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in -- to prevent them from leaving us. I want to say on behalf of my countrymen who live many miles away on the other side of the Atlantic, who are far distant from you, that they take the greatest pride, that they have been able to share with you, even from a distance, the story of the last 18 years. I know of no town, no city, that has been besieged for 18 years that still lives with the vitality and the force, and the hope, and the determination of the city of West Berlin.

While the wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of the Communist system -- for all the world to see -- we take no satisfaction in it; for it is, as your Mayor has said, an offense not only against history but an offense against humanity, separating families, dividing husbands and wives and brothers and sisters, and dividing a people who wish to be joined together.  

What is -- What is true of this city is true of Germany: Real, lasting peace in Europe can never be assured as long as one German out of four is denied the elementary right of free men, and that is to make a free choice. In 18 years of peace and good faith, this generation of Germans has earned the right to be free, including the right to unite their families and their nation in lasting peace, with good will to all people. You live in a defended island of freedom, but your life is part of the main.

So let me ask you, as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today, to the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this city of Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom everywhere, beyond the wall to the day of peace with justice, beyond yourselves and ourselves to all mankind.  

Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we look -- can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great Continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front lines for almost two decades.

All -- All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. And, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner." 

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Q&A with Humorous Inspirational Keynote Business Speaker (Branding, Communication, Foodservice) and award winning humorist Conor Cunneen

Q: As a keynote speaker communications, branding, marketing, how do you rate this speech?

A: I think any inspirational keynote speaker appreciates that this is a truly powerful speech not just because of the words but of course the occasion. Tensions were running high at this point in US-Soviet relations and it might be argued that Kennedy’s speech actually added to those tensions. But for the people in Berlin – East and West who were surrounded by a Soviet ring of steel, this was a speech that celebrated the human spirit and to some extent mocked communism.

Q: I am sure that as a humorous keynote business speaker you are familiar with the jelly donut reference?

A: Yes. Apparently, Kennedy should not have used the word ‘ein’ in his “Ich bin ein Berliner” reference. Instead of saying he was a Berliner, the literal translation of what he said is “I am a jelly donut.” I think his audience excused him that little gaffe and saw the address for what it was – an inspirational motivational keynote speaker speaking from the heart.

Q: How does a gaffe like that happen especially for a world class motivational, inspirational keynote speaker? It is the type of thing that a funny or humorous keynote speaker would love to reference.

A: Good question. Kennedy’s speechwriter and loyalist Ted Sorensen says he provided the phrasing. German statesman and later Berlin mayor Willy Brandt wrote in his memoirs that he actually rehearsed the phrase with Sorensen the previous evening. That seems a bit weird. Then to add to the humorous keynotes speaker mystery, Ken O’Donnell in his book Johnny We Hardly Knew Ya states that the phrasing was provided by Mac Bundy. Who knows but it just goes to show whether you are a humorous keynote speaker on communications, foodservice, cancer, marketing – whatever, you can never be too careful.