60: Ich Bin Ein Berliner

60 years today (June 23, 1963) President John F. Kennedy gave his famous “Ich Bin Ein Berliner” Speech in West Berlin, West Germany.

22 months previously the Soviet and East German Communists built the Berlin Wall to keep people from fleeing Communism in East Berlin and East Germany to Freedom in West Berlin and West Germany.

The Berlin Wall (from 1961-1989) was 96 miles long.

The Inner-German Border Wall (from 1952-1989) was 858 miles long.

Kennedy spoke to an audience of 120,000 on the steps of Rathaus Schöneberg and said:

“Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was civis romanus sum ["I am a Roman citizen"]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner!"... 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!"

It was a great morale boost for West Berliners, who lived in an enclave deep inside East Germany (100 miles from the rest of West Germany) and feared a possible East German and Soviet Occupation.

JFK was assassinated 5 months later on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.

Note:

From 1945-1952 it was possible to simply walk across from East Germany into West Germany. 2.1 Million East Germans fled Communism for West Germany (or 300,000 People every year for 7 years.)

From 1952-1961 it was only possible to leave East Germany by walking from East Berlin into West Berlin. 3.5 Million East Germans (20% of the whole population of East Germany) fled to West Berlin at this time.

From 1961-1989 100,000 people tried to flee over, under or above the Berlin Wall. Only 5,000 made it. Most were captured and sent to Prison for many years.

From 1952-1989: 371 People were killed by the Communists at the Inner-German Border.

From 1961-1989: 173 People were killed by the Communists at the Berlin Wall.