Plausibly Live! - The Official Podcast Of The Dave Bowman Show

In June of 1963, the Cold War stood like a concrete wall between freedom and tyranny—quite literally in Berlin. President John F. Kennedy, in one of the most electrifying moments of his presidency, traveled to the divided city to deliver a message not just to Germans, but to the world. With the phrase *"Ich bin ein Berliner,"* he declared solidarity with those trapped behind the Iron Curtain, turning a routine diplomatic visit into a timeless call for liberty. This was no mere campaign speech—it was defiance with a Boston accent, aimed squarely at the Kremlin. In today’s episode of *Dave Does History*, we revisit Kennedy’s iconic speech from the steps of Rathaus Schöneberg. What did it mean then, and what does it still mean now? Grab your metaphorical passport and prepare to cross through Checkpoint Charlie—we’re heading straight into the heart of Cold War rhetoric and the courage it took to speak it.