Kennedy 'milestone' speech prompts German letter of thanks to Bush

GERMANY: Berlin has used the 40th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech to rebuild ties with Washington damaged in the build-up to the war in Iraq.

Mr Johannes Rau, the German federal President, described the speech as a "milestone in German history" in a letter of thanks to US President Mr George Bush.

"You stretched out the hand of friendship, a friendship for which Kennedy created a lasting symbol 40 years ago and which has stood the test of time ever since, even in difficult times," wrote Mr Rau, calling the speech a "solid anchor" for the German-American friendship.

That anchor was tested in recent months after Chancellor Schröder made clear his government's opposition to the war in Iraq.

His populist stance helped him win last year's general election but poisoned relations with Washington.

Yesterday evening, Kennedy's disembodied voice echoed around the plaza in front of Schöneberg Town Hall in a different world of a united Berlin and a vanished Soviet Union.

President Kennedy's visit, less than two years after the Berlin Wall was built, gave hope to the city's people that West Berlin, deep inside communist East Germany, would not be forgotten by the Allies.

Kennedy told the crowd they were free people with an inalienable right to freedom, a right that the rest of the free world would defend.

He said: "Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free all free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words 'Ich bin ein Berliner'."

The crowd cheered and even police officers cried after Kennedy's attempt at German with a heavy Boston twang.

Berlin is remembering the speech, one of the most famous moments of the Cold War, with events, readings and a new exhibition about Kennedy in a city museum.

"The reaction of our visitors is very enthusiastic, still enthusiastic, even though this was 40 years ago. Everybody - be it young or old people - has in mind that this is a quotation from John F. Kennedy," said Mr Herbert Schäfer, one of the organisers of the exhibition.

One of the exhibition's key attractions is a simple pencilled note in the margin of his speech that read "Ish Bin Ine Bear-LEAN-ar".

It was only after the speech that people remarked how Mr Kennedy had actually told the crowd: "I am a doughnut."