Election News and Features
Markus Schreiber/AP
The Pariser Platz in Berlin, with the Brandenburg Gate (AP)
The Pariser Platz in Berlin, with the Brandenburg Gate (AP)
Planned Obama Speech at Brandenburg Gate Causes German Unease
July 14, 2008 03:21 PM
(Click for citation)
by
Josh Katz
Barack Obama has created debate in Germany, even among the country’s leadership, over whether he should be allowed to speak at the symbolic gate.
30-Second Summary
The Obama campaign had planned for the presidential candidate to speak at Brandenburg Gate, the arch of triumph considered symbolic of East–West German reunification, on July 24 during his European tour.
But on Sunday, Ill. Sen. Obama cast doubt on the possibility of making the speech at the gate saying, “I don't want the venue to be a distraction.”
The gate provided the backdrop for President Ronald Reagan’s famous June 12, 1987, speech when he referenced the nearby Berlin Wall and said, “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” President John F. Kennedy also made history with his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech at Schoenberg City Hall in 1962, visiting the Gate soon after.
But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has opposed the prospect of Obama speaking at the Gate because she feels it is inappropriate for such a symbol to be “used as a campaign backdrop.” Her spokesman said, “No German politician would come up with the idea to do such a thing at the National Mall in D.C.”
Germany and the U.S. government have also denied rumors that the Bush administration has tried to sway Merkel’s opinion against the speech, as a ploy against the Obama campaign.
However, Social Democratic vice chancellor, foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit have all shown support for the speaking arrangement.
The effectiveness of the speech on Obama’s campaign is also in question. Some suggest that warm welcomes in Europe could turn off some voters.
But on Sunday, Ill. Sen. Obama cast doubt on the possibility of making the speech at the gate saying, “I don't want the venue to be a distraction.”
The gate provided the backdrop for President Ronald Reagan’s famous June 12, 1987, speech when he referenced the nearby Berlin Wall and said, “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” President John F. Kennedy also made history with his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech at Schoenberg City Hall in 1962, visiting the Gate soon after.
But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has opposed the prospect of Obama speaking at the Gate because she feels it is inappropriate for such a symbol to be “used as a campaign backdrop.” Her spokesman said, “No German politician would come up with the idea to do such a thing at the National Mall in D.C.”
Germany and the U.S. government have also denied rumors that the Bush administration has tried to sway Merkel’s opinion against the speech, as a ploy against the Obama campaign.
However, Social Democratic vice chancellor, foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit have all shown support for the speaking arrangement.
The effectiveness of the speech on Obama’s campaign is also in question. Some suggest that warm welcomes in Europe could turn off some voters.
Headline Links: ‘Obama’s Brandenburg Concerto’
On a Sunday flight to San Diego Sen. Obama appeared to play down the possibility of speaking in front of the Brandenburg Gate, according to Der Spiegel. Obama said, “I want to make sure that my message is heard as opposed to creating new controversy. Our goal is for me to lay out how I think about the next administration’s role in rebuilding a trans-Atlantic alliance. I don’t want the venue to be a distraction.”
Source: Der Spiegel
Time writes that, “the mini-controversy that has surrounded his planned visit highlights the mix of admiration and suspicion with which Berliners view Presidential pilgrimages to their city.”
Source: Time
Opinion & Analysis: ‘Obama in Berlin: dividing opinion’
Claire Fowler of The Guardian stresses the importance of Obama’s decision to speak at Brandenburg Gate and its political implications. She comments on the Obama camp’s statement that it would speak in Germany despite Chancellor Angela Merkel’s objections: “However, for a keynote speech, which is expected to outline and provide proof of a change of pace and motivations behind transatlantic relations, it surely seems a political no-brainer that the head of the host government might be politely consulted first.”
Source: The Guardian
In a Deutsch Welle blog, Michael Knigge claims that the Brandenburg Gate appearance may actually be detrimental to Obama’s campaign in the United States: “If the Germans (and God forbid maybe even the French too) are enthralled by Obama and greet him like a pop star, that alone could be reason enough for some to vote for John McCain.”
Source: Deutsche Welle
Reference: The Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is Berlin’s arch of triumph and was completed in 1791 by Carl G. Langhans. A statue of a chariot pulled by four horses sits atop the gate. The Berlin Wall cut off access to the gate from 1961 to 1989, but it was reopened on Dec. 22, 1989 during East–West reunification.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Related Topic: ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’
“On June 26, 1963, in a speech before 120,000 citizens of Berlin, President John F. Kennedy declared ‘Ich bin ein Berliner,’ meaning, ‘I am a Berliner.’” FindingDulcinea looks back on the famous speech and its significance.
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2010 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
