On June 26, 1963, President John F. Kennedy stood in front of some half a million people in West Berlin and delivered a powerful speech in support of democracy and freedom, which became famous for its strong stance against the Soviet Union and Kennedy’s use of German. The phrase “Ich bin ein Berliner” became the pinnacle of his speech, producing long applause and cheers from the crowd. It was clear to his advisors and the Germans in the crowd that Kennedy did not have an ear for languages or pronunciation, but his idea to add in German phrases to the speech served well to connect him to the people of Berlin, helped boost their morale, and showed his unwavering support for their plight.
While the phrase has its place in history, it has also led to a long-lasting urban legend that Kennedy misspoke by including the word “ein.” In northern Germany, a Berliner was a jelly doughnut. Therefore, President Kennedy supposedly said “I am a jelly doughnut” and the crowds were amused by his mistake. However, linguists have pointed out that not only is “Ich bin ein Berliner” acceptable, it can be argued that since Kennedy was not actually a resident of Berlin, it was more correct. The laughter came after Kennedy deadpanned, “Thank you for correcting my pronunciation” after the interpreter repeated the phrase in German.
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