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17. Juni 1953
17. Juni 1953
Berlin Airlift 1948: children are waiting for the plane of US Lieutenant Gail Halversen, the “candy bomber” who used to drop the handkerchief parachutes filled with sweets.
Dawn of a New Era: Berliners Rejoice as Blockade is Lifted
In the early morning hours of May 12, 1949, the first buses set off from Berlin for West Germany to the cheers of their fellow citizens. A bus with the inscription “Hurray, we are still alive” embodied the resilient spirit of the people. At exactly 12:01 a.m. on the night of May 11-12, 1949, the blockade that had besieged Berlin ended.
East German uprising of 1953: The Red Flag at the Brandenburg Gate is taken down by the people.
East German uprising of 1953: Announcement of the Soviet city commander about the imposition of the state of emergency on June 17, 1953
East German Uprising of 1953: Soviet tanks on the market place in Leipzig on June 17, 1953.
East German Uprising of 1953: In an act of defiant courage, Berliners pelt a Soviet tank stationed on Leipziger Straße near Potsdamer Platz with a hail of stones.
East German uprising of 1953: On June 23, 1953, thousands of Berliners gathered in a solemn display of unity and remembrance. The wide expanse of Rudolf Wilde Platz, situated in front of the West Berlin City Hall in Schöneberg, became the backdrop for a momentous occasion—a mourning ceremony that left an indelible mark on history.
In a deeply poignant moment, German Chancellor Dr. Konrad Adenauer paid a heartfelt tribute to the fallen victims of the Berlin riots on June 17, 1953, bestowing upon them the revered title of “Martyrs of Freedom.”
© picture-alliance / dpa | UPI
U.S. President John F. Kennedy (m) and Governing Mayor of Berlin Willy Brandt (r) in front of Schöneberg City Hall in Berlin on June 26, 1963. In his speech, Kennedy expressed his solidarity with the people of the divided city with the legendary sentence spoken in German, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” One and a half million people lined the streets or gathered for Kennedy's speech in front of Schöneberg City Hall during the U.S. president's seven-and-a-half-hour tour of West Berlin.