Who is speaking?:
President John F. Kennedy is giving his well known Ich bin ein Berliner (Translation: I am a Berliner) speech, 1963.
Who is the audience?:
Directly this speech is concerning the Germans of West Berlin, yet at the same time it is also directed to all people of the world, even East Germany and other nations alike“…beyond the freedom merely of this city of Berlin and all 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.” That statement leads me to believe that this speech was not only meant for the people of Berlin to hear, but for everyone.
Who does the speaker represent?:
I believe Kennedy is representing his own political opinion, so he is representing himself. In which as he is the President of the United States, he is also representing America as a whole.
What is being said?:
Kennedy is voicing his opinion about how West Berlin needs to be sociably “aloud” back from seclusion. He is standing against communism, and he is telling the Germans that they will (in an ideal situation), no longer be held to what had happened by the hands of prior generations of Germans. “In eighteen years of peace and good faith this generation of Germans have earned the right to be free, including the right to unite their families and their nation in lasting peace with goodwill to all people.” Kennedy mentioned the Berlin wall and admitted that our democracy was not flawless, but makes a valid point that we as a government had never needed to “ …put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us!” He is pointing out the obvious contrast of communist and democrats in this speech. The most important message I received from this text was that Kennedy was a firm believer that all men were equal, “Freedom is invincible, and when one man is enslaved, no man is free.” Kennedy is supporting West Germany in the difficult times they are enduring with East Germany.
How is it being said?:
Kennedy is speaking assertively, yet makes remarks showing the people of West Berlin that he cares and has an understanding of what position they are in. He made remarks in German to personalize his speech to the people, emphasizing that he was there to be a comfort, not a threat. “Today in a world of freedom, the proudest boast is “Ich bin ein Berliner!” Kennedy is well prepared and speaks with confidence in this speech. Kennedy was sending a message, and it was one that was easily understood.
What justification is being used to legitimize the request?:Let me first clarify that in this speech Kennedy is requesting that freedom be given to all people, and he is asking Europe to let down their guard to Germany so that all nations can grow past the point of which they are all at now “What is true to this city is true to 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.” Kennedy repeatedly points out the difference between his beliefs of right and wrong when it comes to government power, and even throws in statements from other people to point out how wrong some assumptions are-“There are some who say that “Communism is the wave of the future!” Let them come to Berlin!”
What is the historical significance of this speech?:
John F. Kennedy was publically defining his opinion that each individual deserves the right to make their own decisions. He was “protesting” against the wall that divided East and West Germany, “For it is an offense not only against humanity, separating families, dividing husbands and wives and brothers and sisters and dividing a people who wished to be joined together!” Kennedy was aware the separation between the two sides of Germany, and he used this to make clear that the United States military and government were still strong and in charge, so to say.
How does this document’s premise or theme fit into the historical context you are reading about in your textbook?:
This document fits directly into what we read about last week. This event I would say would have been somewhere in between pages 1064-1067 along with the details about Khrushchev, and the “iron curtain”. Because these are both related to what was in the speech about the Berlin Wall and the separation of East and West Germany.
