Andreas W. Daum

Kennedy in Berlin

Publications of the German Historical Institute. Cambridge University Press, 2007.


For the first time, a book tells the story of John F. Kennedy's spectacular visit to Berlin in 1963. It solves the riddle of why Kennedy uttered "Ich bin ein Berliner" and explains why the Germans venerated the American President more than anyone else after Adolf Hitler. Andreas W. Daum digs deep into the history of the Cold War era and traces the changes in German-American relations. He argues that we cannot understand diplomacy and international relations without taking into account emotions, mass approval, and symbolic actions.