Kennedy in Berlin

Andreas W. Daum tells the story of a transatlantic relationship that culminated in one of the most spectacular political events of the twentieth century. He describes the visit of U.S. President John F. Kennedy to Berlin in 1963, which drew hundreds of thousands of spectators and led to an outburst of emotions. Daum uses this event as a window that allows new insights into the era of the Cold War, the nature of transatlantic relations, and the interplay of diplomacy and culture in the twentieth century. He also solves the many puzzles and myths surrounding Kennedy’s famous line “Ich bin ein Berliner.” This book focuses on the character of politics as a performance that needs to convince its audience. It demonstrates that diplomatic considerations and strategic rationale, on one hand, and symbolic politics, emotional approval, and historical experiences, on the other, are closely intertwined in the modern era.

Kennedy in Berlin examines one of the most spectacular political events of the twentieth century. It tells the story of the enthusiastically celebrated visit that US president John F. Kennedy paid to Berlin, the 'frontline city of the Cold War,' in June 1963. The president's tour resonated around the world, not least on account of Kennedy's famous declaration – 'Ich bin ein Berliner.' Andreas W. Daum sets Kennedy's visit against the background of the special relationship that had developed between the United States and West Berlin in the wake of World War II, and Kennedy in Berlin is an innovative contribution to the study of transatlantic relations, the Cold War, and the conduct of diplomacy in the age of mass media. Using a broad range of sources, this book sheds new light on the interplay between politics and culture in the modern era.

Introduction; 1. The emerging plot; 2. The script and the staging; 3. Dramatic climax; 4. After the final curtain; 5. The show goes on; 6. 'A comet of promise passing through our country'; Appendix: Ich bin ein Berliner: John F. Kennedy's speech at Schoneberg City Hall, June 26, 1963; Bibliography.

Kennedy in Berlin tells the story of John F. Kennedy's visit to Berlin, the 'frontline city of the Cold War,' in June 1963. The president's tour resonated around the world, not least on account of Kennedy's famous declaration - 'Ich bin ein Berliner' - and the book sheds new light on the interplay between politics and culture.

Andreas W. Daum is a Professor of Modern History at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He has taught at the University of Munich, where he earned his doctorate, and has been a Research Fellow at the German Historical Institute, Washington, DC, and a John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellow at Harvard University. He is the author of Wissenschaftspopularisierung im 19. Jahrhundert and the coeditor of America, the Vietnam War, and the World, with Lloyd C. Gardner and Wilfried Mausbach, and, with Christof Mauch, of Berlin – Washington: Capital Cities, Cultural Representations, and National Identities, both published by Cambridge University Press.