Fit for a President

A look back at Berlin's Presidential moments

U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama arrives in Berlin this week, marking his only public appearance on the continent along his tour of European and Middle Eastern capitals.

Supporters hope this trip will bolster his foreign policy credentials and reassure voters of his ability to be an effective Commander-in-Chief—even though he’s not yet been elected …

Initial speculation that Obama would make a “major speech” at the Brandenburg Gate sparked a row over the appropriateness of using the Berlin icon as the backdrop for an event that is essentially part of a U.S. election campaign. German magazine Der Spiegel concisely stated, “Das Tor muss man sich verdienen,” (“One has to earn the gates”). German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke out against the idea, while flamboyant Berlin mayor Klaus “poor, but sexy” Wowereit invited the candidate to speak in front of the Rote Rathaus, Berlin’s City Hall, instead. The Illinois Senator finally settled on the Siegesäule monument, which, while located in the middle of the Tiergarten, is still within sight of the iconic gate.

So will Obama’s “Yes, we can!” replace “Ich bin ein Berliner” to become the new catchphrase of the millennium? Only Thursday will tell. Until then, in order celebrate Obama’s arrival in our humble city, we take a look back at the other U.S. presidential highlights—Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush—of Berlin’s tumultuous past.

Rathaus Schöneberg

Ever since John F. Kennedy’s legendary 1963 speech in front of the Rathaus Schöneberg, “Ich bin ein Berliner” proved emblematic of not just West and East German reunification but of liberty and freedom for mankind everywhere. With the U.S. at the peak of the Cold War, the democratic President—moved after witnessing the Berlin Wall for the first time—quickly revised his prepared speech.

“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…

All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. Therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words:

‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’”

Kennedy Museum

The Kennedy Museum is the only museum in Berlin dedicated solely to a former U.S. President. John F. Kennedy was coined ‘Camelot’ in reference to the thousand days that this ‘Democratic Prince’ spent in the White House.

The 35th U.S. President left such an impressionable mark on Berliners not only for his liberal politics and for for being the first Irish president, but for his declaration of Berlin as the symbol of free men everywhere. As such, the Kennedys will always have a special place in Berlin, from JFK’s infamous 1963 speech to the street named in his honor to their lasting resonance in foreign politics today.

Brandenburg Gate

In 1987, in honor of the 750th anniversary of the Brandenburg Gates, President Ronald Reagan addressed a crowd of West Berliners in front of bullet-proof panes and demanded Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev tear down the wall. Though the president’s comrades were dubious about the direct command, Reagan opted to adhere to the words, penned by speechwriter Peter Robinson, below.

“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

The wall fell down just 17 months later. West German chancellor Helmut Kohl would later remark, “He was a stroke of luck for the world, especially for Europe.” In September 1990, Reagan returned to Berlin to chip away at the very wall whose destruction had, at the time of his plea, seemed impossible.

Tempelhof Airport

President Bill Clinton arrived in Berlin on May 14, 1998 to celebrate the anniversary of the city’s airlift, which had 50 years prior played a crucial role at the end of World War II. Over 750,000 supporters from the West flew into the airport to rebuild and load planes, and to provide German citizens with food, staples, and other emergency equipment—emphasizing the importance of freedom after a tumultuous six-year war.

This was one of many visits Clinton paid to Berlin. Here, the President roused the audience by stressing the continuance of a U.S. and German relationship, and the importance of remembering lessons from history.

And I salute the people of Berlin. Thousands of Berliners from doctors to housewives rolled up their sleeves to help Americans expand this airfield, building Tegel Airport from scratch, unloading and maintaining the planes. Your fearless mayor, Ernst Reuter, inspired Americans and Germans alike when he stood before a rally and said, ‘We cannot be bordered. We cannot be negotiated. We cannot be sold.’”

Gugelhof

Residents of Prenzlauerberg will proudly point out a choice bit of history documented at this Alstatian eatery. Visiting Berlin in June 2000, former U.S. President Bill Clinton was invited here by his host and then-German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder. Gugelhof’s pork-dominated menu proved perfect for the good ‘ol boy from Arkansas—Clinton, ever the politician, followed up his Chocroute (sauerkraut and potatoes stewed with sausage and assorted meats) by gladhanding his fellow patrons and the restaurant staff.

Theodor Tucher

Current U.S. President George W. Bush swung into town in May 2002 and dined with then-German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder at this traditional restaurant, located on scenic Pariser Platz. Schröder—a regular at the restaurant—ordered a round of Berliner specialty currywurst for the table and followed it up with slices of apfelstrüdl. It seemed as if Bush preferred his Texan meats—allegedly, the President couldn’t keep up with the Chancellor. Still, Bush was quite the gentleman, praising the restaurant and its owners.