The story of this place
Rathaus Schöneberg served as the town hall of West Berlin throughout the years of division, since the historic city hall lay in the Soviet sector. On 26 June 1963, less than two years after the Wall went up, US President John F. Kennedy stood on its steps before a crowd of around 450,000 and delivered one of the Cold War's most famous speeches, declaring solidarity with the encircled city: '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 roared. In the tower hangs a replica of the American Liberty Bell, a 1950 gift symbolising freedom, which is rung on special occasions. A plaque marks the spot of Kennedy's speech.