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RonaldReagan
RemarksattheBrandenburgGate
delivered 12 June 1987, WestBerlin
[AUTHENTICITYCERTIFIED: Textversionbelowtranscribeddirectlyfromaudio. (2)]
Thankyou. Thankyou, verymuch.
ChancellorKohl, GoverningMayorDiepgen, ladiesandgentlemen: Twentyfouryearsago, PresidentJohnF. KennedyvisitedBerlin, andspeakingtothepeopleofthiscityandtheworldatthecityhall. Wellsincethentwootherpresidentshavecome, eachinhisturntoBerlin. Andtoday, I, myself, makemysecondvisittoyourcity.
WecometoBerlin, weAmericanPresidents, becauseit'sourdutytospeakinthisplaceoffreedom. ButImustconfess, we’redrawnherebyotherthingsaswell; bythefeelingofhistoryinthiscity -- morethan 500 yearsolderthanourownnation; bythebeautyoftheGrunewaldandtheTiergarten; mostofall, byyourcourageanddetermination. Perhapsthecomposer, PaulLinke, understoodsomethingaboutAmericanPresidents. Yousee, likesomanyPresidentsbeforeme, IcomeheretodaybecausewhereverIgo, whateverIdo: “IchhabnocheinenKofferinBerlin” [IstillhaveasuitcaseinBerlin.]
OurgatheringtodayisbeingbroadcastthroughoutWesternEuropeandNorthAmerica. IunderstandthatitisbeingseenandheardaswellintheEast. TothoselisteningthroughoutEasternEurope, IextendmywarmestgreetingsandthegoodwilloftheAmericanpeople. TothoselisteninginEastBerlin, aspecialword: AlthoughIcannotbewithyou, Iaddressmyremarkstoyoujustassurelyastothosestandingherebeforeme. ForIjoinyou, asIjoinyourfellowcountrymenintheWest, inthisfirm, thisunalterablebelief: EsgibtnureinBerlin. [ThereisonlyoneBerlin.]
Behindmestandsawallthatencirclesthefreesectorsofthiscity, partofavastsystemofbarriersthatdividestheentirecontinentofEurope. FromtheBalticSouth, thosebarrierscutacrossGermanyinagashofbarbedwire, concrete, dogruns, andguardtowers. Farthersouth, theremaybenovisible, noobviouswall. Butthereremainarmedguardsandcheckpointsallthesame -- stillarestrictionontherighttotravel, stillaninstrumenttoimposeuponordinarymenandwomenthewillofatotalitarianstate.
Yet, itishereinBerlinwherethewallemergesmostclearly; here, cuttingacrossyourcity, wherethenewsphotoandthetelevisionscreenhaveimprintedthisbrutaldivisionofacontinentuponthemindoftheworld.
StandingbeforetheBrandenburgGate, everymanisaGermanseparatedfromhisfellowmen.
EverymanisaBerliner, forcedtolookuponascar.
PresidentVonWeizsäckerhassaid, "TheGermanquestionisopenaslongastheBrandenburgGateisclosed." Welltoday -- todayIsay: Aslongasthisgateisclosed, aslongasthisscarofawallispermittedtostand, itisnottheGermanquestionalonethatremainsopen, butthequestionoffreedomforallmankind.
Yet, Idonotcomeheretolament. ForIfindinBerlinamessageofhope, evenintheshadowofthiswall, amessageoftriumph.
Inthisseasonofspringin 1945, thepeopleofBerlinemergedfromtheirair-raidshelterstofinddevastation. Thousandsofmilesaway, thepeopleoftheUnitedStatesreachedouttohelp. Andin 1947 SecretaryofState -- asyou'vebeentold -- GeorgeMarshallannouncedthecreationofwhatwouldbecomeknownastheMarshallPlan. Speakingprecisely 40 yearsagothismonth, hesaid: "Ourpolicyisdirectednotagainstanycountryordoctrine, butagainsthunger, poverty, desperation, andchaos."
IntheReichstagafewmomentsago, Isawadisplaycommemoratingthis 40thanniversaryoftheMarshallPlan. Iwasstruckbyasign -- thesignonaburnt-out, guttedstructurethatwasbeingrebuilt. IunderstandthatBerlinersofmyowngenerationcanrememberseeingsignslikeitdottedthroughoutthewesternsectorsofthecity. Thesignreadsimply: "TheMarshallPlanishelpingheretostrengthenthefreeworld." Astrong, freeworldintheWest -- thatdreambecamereal. Japanrosefromruintobecomeaneconomicgiant. Italy, France, Belgium -- virtuallyeverynationinWesternEuropesawpoliticalandeconomicrebirth; theEuropeanCommunitywasfounded.
InWestGermanyandhereinBerlin, theretookplaceaneconomicmiracle, theWirtschaftswunder. Adenauer, Erhard, Reuter, andotherleadersunderstoodthepracticalimportanceofliberty -- thatjustastruthcanflourishonlywhenthejournalistisgivenfreedomofspeech, soprosperitycancomeaboutonlywhenthefarmerandbusinessmanenjoyeconomicfreedom. TheGermanleaders -- theGermanleadersreducedtariffs, expandedfreetrade, loweredtaxes. From 1950 to 1960 alone, thestandardoflivinginWestGermanyandBerlindoubled.
Wherefourdecadesagotherewasrubble, todayinWestBerlinthereisthegreatestindustrialoutputofanycityinGermany: busyofficeblocks, finehomesandapartments, proudavenues, andthespreadinglawnsofparkland. Whereacity'scultureseemedtohavebeendestroyed, todaytherearetwogreatuniversities, orchestrasandanopera, countlesstheaters, andmuseums. Wheretherewaswant, todaythere'sabundance -- food, clothing, automobiles -- thewonderfulgoodsoftheKudamm.¹ Fromdevastation, fromutterruin, youBerlinershave, infreedom, rebuiltacitythatonceagainranksasoneofthegreatestonearth. NowtheSovietsmayhavehadotherplans. Butmyfriends, therewereafewthingstheSovietsdidn'tcounton: BerlinerHerz, BerlinerHumor, ja, undBerlinerSchnauze. [Berlinerheart, Berlinerhumor, yes, andaBerlinerSchnauze.²]
Inthe 1950s -- Inthe 1950sKhrushchevpredicted: "Wewillburyyou."
ButintheWesttoday, weseeafreeworldthathasachievedalevelofprosperityandwell-beingunprecedentedinallhumanhistory. IntheCommunistworld, weseefailure, technologicalbackwardness, decliningstandardsofhealth, evenwantofthemostbasickind -- toolittlefood. Eventoday, theSovietUnionstillcannotfeeditself. Afterthesefourdecades, then, therestandsbeforetheentireworldonegreatandinescapableconclusion: Freedomleadstoprosperity. Freedomreplacestheancienthatredsamongthenationswithcomityandpeace. Freedomisthevictor.
Andnow -- nowtheSovietsthemselvesmay, inalimitedway, becomingtounderstandtheimportanceoffreedom. WehearmuchfromMoscowaboutanewpolicyofreformandopenness. Somepoliticalprisonershavebeenreleased. Certainforeignnewsbroadcastsarenolongerbeingjammed. Someeconomicenterpriseshavebeenpermittedtooperatewithgreaterfreedomfromstatecontrol.
ArethesethebeginningsofprofoundchangesintheSovietstate? OraretheytokengesturesintendedtoraisefalsehopesintheWest, ortostrengthentheSovietsystemwithoutchangingit? Wewelcomechangeandopenness; forwebelievethatfreedomandsecuritygotogether, thattheadvanceofhumanliberty -- theadvanceofhumanlibertycanonlystrengthenthecauseofworldpeace.
ThereisonesigntheSovietscanmakethatwouldbeunmistakable, thatwouldadvancedramaticallythecauseoffreedomandpeace.
GeneralSecretaryGorbachev, ifyouseekpeace, ifyouseekprosperityfortheSovietUnionandEasternEurope, ifyouseekliberalization: Comeheretothisgate.
Mr. Gorbachev, openthisgate.
Mr. Gorbachev -- Mr. Gorbachev, teardownthiswall!
Iunderstandthefearofwarandthepainofdivisionthatafflictthiscontinent, andIpledgetoyoumycountry'seffortstohelpovercometheseburdens. Tobesure, weintheWestmustresistSovietexpansion. So, wemustmaintaindefensesofunassailablestrength. Yetweseekpeace; sowemuststrivetoreducearmsonbothsides.
Beginning 10 yearsago, theSovietschallengedtheWesternalliancewithagravenewthreat, hundredsofnewandmoredeadlySS-20 nuclearmissilescapableofstrikingeverycapitalinEurope. TheWesternalliancerespondedbycommittingitselftoacounter-deployment (unlesstheSovietsagreedtonegotiateabettersolution) -- namely, theeliminationofsuchweaponsonbothsides. Formanymonths, theSovietsrefusedtobargaininearnestness. Asthealliance, inturn, preparedtogoforwardwithitscounter-deployment, thereweredifficultdays, daysofprotestslikethoseduringmy 1982 visittothiscity; andtheSovietslaterwalkedawayfromthetable.
Butthroughitall, theallianceheldfirm. AndIinvitethosewhoprotestedthen -- Iinvitethosewhoprotesttoday -- tomarkthisfact: Becauseweremainedstrong, theSovietscamebacktothetable. Becauseweremainedstrong, todaywehavewithinreachthepossibility, notmerelyoflimitingthegrowthofarms, butofeliminating, forthefirsttime, anentireclassofnuclearweaponsfromthefaceoftheearth.
AsIspeak, NATOministersaremeetinginIcelandtoreviewtheprogressofourproposalsforeliminatingtheseweapons. AtthetalksinGeneva, wehavealsoproposeddeepcutsinstrategicoffensiveweapons. AndtheWesternallieshavelikewisemadefar-reachingproposalstoreducethedangerofconventionalwarandtoplaceatotalbanonchemicalweapons.
Whilewepursuethesearmsreductions, IpledgetoyouthatwewillmaintainthecapacitytodeterSovietaggressionatanylevelatwhichitmightoccur. Andincooperationwithmanyofourallies, theUnitedStatesispursuingtheStrategicDefenseInitiative -- researchtobasedeterrencenotonthethreatofoffensiveretaliation, butondefensesthattrulydefend; onsystems, inshort, thatwillnottargetpopulations, butshieldthem. BythesemeansweseektoincreasethesafetyofEuropeandalltheworld. Butwemustrememberacrucialfact: EastandWestdonotmistrusteachotherbecausewearearmed; wearearmedbecausewemistrusteachother. Andourdifferencesarenotaboutweaponsbutaboutliberty. WhenPresidentKennedyspokeattheCityHallthose 24 yearsago, freedomwasencircled; Berlinwasundersiege. Andtoday, despiteallthepressuresuponthiscity, Berlinstandssecureinitsliberty. Andfreedomitselfistransformingtheglobe.
InthePhilippines, inSouthandCentralAmerica, democracyhasbeengivenarebirth. ThroughoutthePacific, freemarketsareworkingmiracleaftermiracleofeconomicgrowth. Intheindustrializednations, atechnologicalrevolutionistakingplace, arevolutionmarkedbyrapid, dramaticadvancesincomputersandtelecommunications.
InEurope, onlyonenationandthoseitcontrolsrefusetojointhecommunityoffreedom. Yetinthisageofredoubledeconomicgrowth, ofinformationandinnovation, theSovietUnionfacesachoice: Itmustmakefundamentalchanges, oritwillbecomeobsolete.
Today, thus, representsamomentofhope. WeintheWeststandreadytocooperatewiththeEasttopromotetrueopenness, tobreakdownbarriersthatseparatepeople, tocreateasafer, freerworld. AndsurelythereisnobetterplacethanBerlin, themeetingplaceofEastandWest, tomakeastart.
FreepeopleofBerlin: Today, asinthepast, theUnitedStatesstandsforthestrictobservanceandfullimplementationofallpartsoftheFourPowerAgreementof 1971. Letususethisoccasion, the 750thanniversaryofthiscity, tousherinanewera, toseekastillfuller, richerlifefortheBerlinofthefuture. Together, letusmaintainanddevelopthetiesbetweentheFederalRepublicandtheWesternsectorsofBerlin, whichispermittedbythe 1971 agreement.
AndIinviteMr. Gorbachev: LetusworktobringtheEasternandWesternpartsofthecityclosertogether, sothatalltheinhabitantsofallBerlincanenjoythebenefitsthatcomewithlifeinoneofthegreatcitiesoftheworld.
ToopenBerlinstillfurthertoallEurope, EastandWest, letusexpandthevitalairaccesstothiscity, findingwaysofmakingcommercialairservicetoBerlinmoreconvenient, morecomfortable, andmoreeconomical. WelooktothedaywhenWestBerlincanbecomeoneofthechiefaviationhubsinallcentralEurope.
With -- WithourFrench -- WithourFrenchandBritishpartners, theUnitedStatesispreparedtohelpbringinternationalmeetingstoBerlin. ItwouldbeonlyfittingforBerlintoserveasthesiteofUnitedNationsmeetings, orworldconferencesonhumanrightsandarmscontrol, orotherissuesthatcallforinternationalcooperation.
Thereisnobetterwaytoestablishhopeforthefuturethantoenlightenyoungminds, andwewouldbehonoredtosponsorsummeryouthexchanges, culturalevents, andotherprogramsforyoungBerlinersfromtheEast. OurFrenchandBritishfriends, I'mcertain, willdothesame. Andit'smyhopethatanauthoritycanbefoundinEastBerlintosponsorvisitsfromyoungpeopleoftheWesternsectors.
Onefinalproposal, oneclosetomyheart: Sportrepresentsasourceofenjoymentandennoblement, andyoumayhavenotedthattheRepublicofKorea -- SouthKorea -- hasofferedtopermitcertaineventsofthe 1988 OlympicstotakeplaceintheNorth. Internationalsportscompetitionsofallkindscouldtakeplaceinbothpartsofthiscity. AndwhatbetterwaytodemonstratetotheworldtheopennessofthiscitythantoofferinsomefutureyeartoholdtheOlympicgameshereinBerlin, EastandWest.
Inthesefourdecades, asIhavesaid, youBerlinershavebuiltagreatcity. You'vedonesoinspiteofthreats -- theSovietattemptstoimposetheEast-mark, theblockade. Todaythecitythrivesinspiteofthechallengesimplicitintheverypresenceofthiswall. Whatkeepsyouhere? Certainlythere'sagreatdealtobesaidforyourfortitude, foryourdefiantcourage. ButIbelievethere'ssomethingdeeper, somethingthatinvolvesBerlin'swholelookandfeelandwayoflife -- notmeresentiment. NoonecouldlivelonginBerlinwithoutbeingcompletelydisabusedofillusions. Something, instead, thathasseenthedifficultiesoflifeinBerlinbutchosetoacceptthem, thatcontinuestobuildthisgoodandproudcityincontrasttoasurroundingtotalitarianpresence, thatrefusestoreleasehumanenergiesoraspirations, somethingthatspeakswithapowerfulvoiceofaffirmation, thatsays "yes" tothiscity, yestothefuture, yestofreedom. Inaword, IwouldsubmitthatwhatkeepsyouinBerlin -- is "love."
Lovebothprofoundandabiding.
Perhapsthisgetstotherootofthematter, tothemostfundamentaldistinctionofallbetweenEastandWest. Thetotalitarianworldproducesbackwardnessbecauseitdoessuchviolencetothespirit, thwartingthehumanimpulsetocreate, toenjoy, toworship. Thetotalitarianworldfindsevensymbolsofloveandofworshipanaffront.
Yearsago, beforetheEastGermansbeganrebuildingtheirchurches, theyerectedasecularstructure: thetelevisiontoweratAlexanderPlatz. Virtuallyeversince, theauthoritieshavebeenworkingtocorrectwhattheyviewasthetower'sonemajorflaw: treatingtheglasssphereatthetopwithpaintsandchemicalsofeverykind. Yeteventodaywhenthesunstrikesthatsphere, thatspherethattowersoverallBerlin, thelightmakesthesignofthecross. ThereinBerlin, likethecityitself, symbolsoflove, symbolsofworship, cannotbesuppressed.
AsIlookedoutamomentagofromtheReichstag, thatembodimentofGermanunity, Inoticedwordscrudelyspray-painteduponthewall, perhapsbyayoungBerliner (quote):
"Thiswallwillfall. Beliefsbecomereality."
Yes, acrossEurope, thiswallwillfall, foritcannotwithstandfaith; itcannotwithstandtruth. Thewallcannotwithstandfreedom.
AndIwouldlike, beforeIclose, tosayoneword. Ihaveread, andIhavebeenquestionedsinceI'vebeenhereaboutcertaindemonstrationsagainstmycoming. AndIwouldliketosayjustonething, andtothosewhodemonstrateso. Iwonderiftheyhaveeveraskedthemselvesthatiftheyshouldhavethekindofgovernmenttheyapparentlyseek, noonewouldeverbeabletodowhatthey'redoingagain.
ThankyouandGodblessyouall. Thankyou.