Words to remember. On June 26, 1963, United States President John F. Kennedy gave a keynote address at Freie Universität. He called for a new Ostpolitik and the peaceful reunification of Germany in a unified Europe. In November of the same year he was assassinated. Three days later the America Institute at the university was renamed John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies.

Sources and additional information

In the morning at the Schöneberg Town Hall, in the afternoon in front of the Henry Ford Building: United States President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Freie Universität Berlin on June 26, 1963, is a milestone in the history of the university, which was only fifteen years old at the time. In a carefully worded speech in front of 20,000 visitors, Kennedy urged Freie Universität – like every university – to produce “citizens of the world … who are willing to commit their energies to the advancement of a free society.” In 2013, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s visit and speech at Freie Universität, a website was created with detailed documentation of the event, including statements by eye-witnesses, who attended it themselves.

• Audio file of John F. Kennedy’s speech
• Website on the 50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy at Freie Universität Berlin