Did JFK Really Call Himself a Jelly Donut?
Did President Kennedy accidentally call himself a jelly donut in front of crowds in Berlin? What does "Ich bin ein Berliner" really mean? And why was Kennedy giving this speech? Learn all about JFK's speech at the Berlin Wall in this exciting episode!
Transcript
Tzeela: Hi I'm Tzeela and I'm 17
Rina: Hi I'm Rina and I'm 15
Dalia: Hey, I'm Dalia and I'm 11
All: And this is Things You Thought You Knew About History!
Tzeela: Where we tell you the real story behind historical misconceptions.
Tzeela: You may have heard of President John F Kennedy’s famous speech at the Berlin Wall in 1963. In his speech, he said “Ich bin ein Berliner”. He was trying to say “I am a Berliner” to show his support for the people of Berlin but he misspoke and instead the phrase translates to I am a jelly donut. Some people in the crowd even laughed a little at the mistake.
Rina: That’s not true!
Tzeela: It’s not?
Rina: Nope! In his speech, President Kennedy said, “Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was ‘Civis Romanus sum [I am a Roman citizen].’ Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner.’” And “Ich bin ein Berliner” means I am a Berliner.
Dalia: Also, no one laughed. When listening to a recording of the speech there is only cheering, until his next line thanking his translator for translating his German.
Tzeela: So why do people think JFK called himself a jelly donut?
Rina: In some parts of Germany Berliner means a jelly donut but not in Berlin. In Berlin, people use the word Pfannkucken to mean jelly donut.
Dalia: Some people also say Kennedy shouldn’t have used the word “ein”. They say that according to German grammar rules he should have just said Ich bin Berliner and adding the word “ein” meant he was calling himself a donut instead of a person from Berlin.
Tzeela: However, according to experts, this is not true because while the word “ein” is unnecessary when referring to someone from Berlin, it should be used when Berliner is used figuratively. And Kennedy wasn’t saying he was literally from Berlin, just that he was with them in spirit.
Rina: Kennedy also practiced his speech in front of people who spoke German including the mayor of Berlin had already heard it so someone probably would have pointed out any mistakes.
Dalia: So how did the myth become so widespread?
Tzeela: This myth comes up in a spy novel, Berlin Game by Len Deighton published in 1983, that takes place in East Germany. One character mentions that in Berlin cartoonists “had a field day with talking donuts,” after Kennedy's speech. But that isn’t true.
Rina: A New York Times OP-ED written by William J. Miller called "I Am a Jelly-Filled Doughnut” was published on April 30 1988 which recounts this false story
Dalia: Oh, so I guess that's how the myth started and became so widespread. But why was he even giving that speech?
Tzeela: After WWII Germany was split into zones that were occupied by either the French, British, Americans, or Soviets. Berlin was in the Soviet zone but the city was split, the Soviets got the east and the rest was under Allied control.
Rina: During the cold war tensions with the west grew, the Soviets attempted to blockade West Berlin but the Allies airlifted needed supplies stopping the attempt.
Dalia: Many people from communist East Germany were going to West Germany in search of opportunity so the leaders of East Germany with the approval of the soviets sealed access between east and west Berlin.
Tzeela: The Berlin wall split Berlin and was a famous symbol during the cold war. It was where Kendy gave his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech.
Rina: The speech Kennedy gave was actually not the one he had originally planned to give. Only ¼ of the speech he gave was the same as the original version. His speech writers carefully wrote the speech to support West Berlin and democracy without upsetting the Soviets. But once he arrived he decided to give a stronger? speech.
Dalia: So shortly before his speech, he had his translator Robert Lochner help him write out the line “Ich bin ein Berliner” phonetically on a piece of paper so he’d know how to pronounce it. He described Berlin as a symbol of democracy and proof of the failures of Communism and praised the people of West Berlin for their strength.
Tzeela: He ended by saying, “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’."
Tzeela: Now for some Trivia!!
Rina: Here is how it’ll work, we'll ask a question count down from ten then say the answer. As always feel free to pause if you need more time.
Tzeela: What number president was Kennedy?
10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1
35th
Rina: What branch of the armed forces did Kennedy serve in?
10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1
The Navy
Tzeela:
10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1
How many siblings did he have? 8
Rina: Where was JFK born?
10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1
Brookline, Massachusetts
Thanks for listening!! We hope you enjoyed!!
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