President Ronald Reagan's Speech at the Berlin Wall, June 12, 1987

thank you, thank you very much Chancellor Kohl mayor ruling deacon ladies and gentlemen 24 years ago President John F. Kennedy visited Berlin speaking to the people of this city and the world at City Hall and since then two other

president

s have come, each in turn, to Berlin and today I myself am making my second visit to your city, we, the American

president

s, come to Berlin because it is our duty to speak in this place of freedom, but I must confess that other things attract us here, as well as the feeling of History in this city is more than 500 years older than our own nation because of the beauty of Grunewald and the garden of tears, above all because of its courage and determination.

Perhaps songwriter Paul Linky understood something about American presidents. He looks like so many presidents before me. I come here. because wherever you go, whatever you do, ich hab noch einen cofre in Berlin, our meeting today is hidden throughout Western Europe and North America. I understand that it is also being seen and heard in the east, by those who listen to us throughout Eastern Europe. I extend my warmest greetings and the good will of the American people to those listening to me in East Berlin. A few special words, although I cannot be with you. I address my comments to you with the same certainty as to those here before me because I join you as I join your compatriots in the West in this firm, unalterable belief that you have maintained not in Berlin behind me there is a

wall

that surrounds the free sectors of this city part of a vast system of barriers that divides the entire continent of the southern Baltic those barriers cut through Germany in a cut of barbed wire, concrete dog corridors and watchtowers further south there may not be a

wall

visible or obvious, but the guards and checkpoints are still armed it is still a restriction on the right to travel it is still an instrument to impose on ordinary men and women the will of a totalitarian state, however, it is here in Berlin where the wall emerges most clearly, here across your city, where the news photographs on the television screen have imprinted this brutal division of a continent on the minds of the world standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate, each man. is a german separated from his fellow man every man is a

berlin

er forced to look at a scar president von weizsäcker has said that the german question is open as long as the brandenburg gate is closed today the day i say as long as this door is closed as long as it is allowed That this wall scar remains standing, it is not only the German question that remains open but the question of freedom for all humanity, but I do not come here to lament because I find in Berlin a message of hope even in the shadows.

From this stage of triumph of the wall in this spring season of 1945, the people of Berlin emerged from their air raid shelters to find devastation thousands of miles away, the people of the United States came forward to help and in 1947 the Secretary of State like you' I have been told that George Marshall announced the creation of what would be known as the Marshall Plan, speaking precisely 40 years ago this month, he said that our policy is not directed against any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos in the Reichstag just moments ago. I saw an exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Marshall Plan.

A sonnet caught my attention. A sign about a structure destroyed by fire being read. I understand that Berliners of my own generation remember seeing posters like this dotted around the western sectors. in the city the sign simply said the Marshall Plan is helping to strengthen the free world here a strong free world in the West that dream came true Japan rose from ruin to become an economic giant Italy France Belgium virtually every nation in Western Europe saw policies and economic renaissance the European Community was founded in West Germany and here in Berlin an economic miracle took place the virtue of spending an hour the writer Earhart and other leaders understood the practical importance of freedom, which, like truth, can only flourish when the journalist is of

speech

so that prosperity can arise only when farmers and businessmen enjoy economic freedom German leaders German leaders reduced tariffs expanded free trade reduced taxes only between 1950 and 1960 the standard of living in West Germany and Berlin doubled four decades ago we were there Today there was rubble in West Berlin there is the highest industrial production of any city in Germany occupied office blocks beautiful houses and apartments proud avenues in the extensive gardens of green areas we are a culture of city ​​seemed to have been destroyed today there are two great universities orchestras and an opera countless theaters and museums where there was one today there is abundance food clothes automobiles the wonderful thing about the khuddam of the devastation of the total ruin you, Berliners, are free to rebuild a city that once again ranks as one of the largest in the world and the Soviets can I have had other plans, but my friends, there were some things that the Soviets did not count on.

The thinnest helots hardly know who the morgue is. A Berlin schnauzer in the 1950s. In the 1950s, Khrushchev predicted that we will bury you, but today in the West we see a free world that has reached a level of prosperity unprecedented in all of human history, in the communist world we see failures, backwardness technological, declining health levels, even one and now the Soviets themselves may, to a limited extent, be coming to understand the importance of freedom. we hear a lot from Moscow about a new policy of reform and opening some political prisoners have been released certain foreign news broadcasts are no longer blocked some economic companies have been allowed to operate more freely from state control are these the beginnings of profound changes in the Soviet State or are symbolic gestures intended to generate false hopes in the West or to strengthen the Soviet system.

Without this we welcome change and openness because we believe that freedom and security go together and that the advancement of human freedom can advance. only to strengthen the cause of world peace there is one signal that the Soviets can give that would be unmistakable that would dramatically advance the cause of freedom and peace Secretary General Gorbachev if he seeks peace if he seeks prosperity for the Soviet Union and Europe of the East yes Look for liberalization, come here to this door, Mr. Gorbachev open this door sir. Gorbachev Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall. I understand the fear of war and the pain of division that afflict this continent and I pledge my country's efforts to help overcome these burdens to ensure that we in the West must take advantage of Soviet expansion, so we must maintain the defenses of impregnable force, but we seek peace, so we must strive to reduce weapons on both sides.

Ten years ago, the Soviets challenged the Western alliance with a new and serious threat, hundreds of new SS-20 nuclear missiles capable of attacking all the capitals of Europe, the Western alliance responded. By committing to a counter-deployment unless the Soviets agreed to negotiate a better solution, namely the elimination of such weapons on both sides, for many months the Soviets refused to negotiate seriously while the Alliance, in turn, prepared to continue go ahead with its counter-deployment there. They were difficult days of protests like those of my visit to this city in 1982 and the Soviets then walked away from the table but despite everything the Alliance remained firm and I invite those who protested then I invite those who protest today to mark this done because we are still strong the Soviets came back to the table because we are still strong today we have within our reach the possibility not only of limiting the growth of weapons but of eliminating for the first time an entire class of nuclear weapons from the face of the earth as I said NATO ministers are meeting in Iceland to review progress on our proposals to eliminate these weapons.

At the Geneva talks we have also proposed deep cuts in strategic offensive weapons, and Western allies have also made far-reaching proposals to reduce the danger from conventional weapons. war and to impose a complete ban on chemical weapons as we pursue these arms reductions. I promise you that we will maintain the ability to deter Soviet aggression at any level at which it may occur and, in cooperation with many of our allies, the United States is continuing the Strategic Defense Initiative research to base deterrence not on threat of offensive retaliation but in defenses that really defend in systems that, in short, do not target populations but protect them, by these means we seek to increase the security of Europe and the entire world, but we must remember a crucial fact East and The West does not distrust each other because we are armed, we are armed because we distrust each other and our differences are not about weapons but about freedom when President Kennedy spoke at city hall 24 years ago, freedom was Berlin was surrounded under siege and today, despite all the pressures on this city, Berlin remains secure in its freedom and freedom itself is transforming the world in the Philippines in South and Central America democracy has been reborn throughout the Pacific free markets miracle after miracle of economic growth in industrialized nations a technological revolution is taking place, a revolution marked by rapid and dramatic advances in computers and telecommunications in Europe, only one nation and those it controls refuse to join the community of freedom , but in this era of redoubled economic growth and information the Soviet Union faces a choice: it must make fundamental changes or become obsolete today, so it represents a moment of hope.

We in the West are willing to cooperate with the East to promote true openness to break down the barriers that separate people to create a safer, freer world and surely there is no better place than Berlin, the meeting place between East and West to start. Three Berlin residents are a thing of the past today. The United States advocates strict observance and full application of all parts of power. agreement of 1971 let us take advantage of the seven hundred and fiftieth anniversary of this city to start a new era and seek an even fuller and richer life for the Berlin of the future let us maintain and develop together the links between the Federal Republic and the Western sectors of Berlin that is permitted by the 1971 agreement and invited mr.

Gorbachev let us work to bring the eastern and western parts of the city closer together so that everyone in all of Berlin could enjoy the benefits that come with living in one of the world's great cities to open Berlin even further to all of Eastern Europe. and the West expand vital air access to this city by finding ways to make commercial service to Berlin more convenient, more comfortable and more economical. We look forward to the day when West Berlin can become one of the major aviation hubs for all of Central Europe with our French and British partners, the United States is willing to help bring international meetings to Berlin.

It would be appropriate for Berlin to host United Nations meetings or global conferences on human rights and arms control or other issues requiring international attention. cooperation there is no better way to generate hope for the future than to enlighten young minds and we would be honored to sponsor summer youth exchanges, cultural events and other programs for young East Berliners our friends friends, I am sure you will do the same and I hope that in East Berlin an authority can be found that will sponsor the visits of young people from the Western sectors. A final proposal that touches my heart.

Sport represents a source of enjoyment and an ennobling moment, and as you may have noticed, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) has offered to allow certain events of the 1988 Olympic Games to be held in the north. International sports competitions of all kinds could take place in both parts of this city and what better way to demonstrate to the world the openness of this city than to offer in some future year to hold the Olympic Games here in East and West Berlin in these four decades. As I said, you Berliners have built a great city. They have done it despite threats.

Soviet attempts to impose the East mark the blockade today. The city thrives despite the challenges implicit in the very presence of this wall. What keeps you here. There is certainly a lot to be said about your strength, your defiant courage, but I think there is something deeper, something that involves the whole look, feel and shape of Berlin. of life is not a mere feeling, no one could live long and Berlin without being completelydisillusioned with illusions something that has seen the difficulties of life in Berlin but decided to accept them that continues to build this good and proud city in contrast to the presence of a surrounding keep that refuses to release human energies or aspirations something that speaks with a powerful voice of affirmation that says yes to this city yes to the future yes to freedom in a word I would say that what keeps you in Berlin is love, love that is both deep and lasting perhaps this gets to the root of the matter, To the most fundamental distinction of all between East and West, the totalitarian world produces backwardness because it violates the spirit, monopolizing the human impulse to create, enjoy, worship, the totalitarian world even finds symbols of love. years ago, before the Germans began rebuilding their churches, they erected a secular structure on Alexanderplatz, tolerant of television, practically ever since the authorities have been working to correct what they consider a major defect of the churches. towers, by treating the glass sphere on top with paints. and chemicals of all kinds, even today, when the sun hits that sphere, it makes the towers over all of Berlin fear, the light makes the sign of the cross there in Berlin, like the city itself, symbols of love, symbols of adoration that cannot be suppressed while looking outside. a moment ago from the Reichstag that embodiment of German unity and the birds crudely spray-painted on the wall perhaps by a young Berliner quote this wall will fall beliefs will come true yes throughout Europe this wall will fallfall cannot resist faith no can resist the truth the wall cannot resist freedom and I would like before closing to say a word that I have read and I have been questioned since I have been here about certain demonstrations against my coming and I would I would like to say just one thing and to the that manifest themselves like this, I wonder if they have ever wondered that if they had the type of government that they apparently seek, no one would be able to do what they are doing again, thank you and God bless you. all of you