Barack Obama might not have said, "Ich bin ein Berliner" as an American leader visiting a forlorn and divided Berlin once did. He didn’t issue a command either like another American, the imperative to "tear down this wall" which echoes more than two decades later. But in another Berlin, in another time, he received the same enthusiastic response when he spoke of "unity" and building "new bridges" between the two continents while challenging the view of America as "part of what has gone wrong in our world." 

"People of the world – look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one," the Illinois senator told the audience in front of the Victory Monument at Berlin’s Tiergarten Thursday.

"People of Berlin – and people of the world – the scale of our challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable hope. Let us build on our common history and seize our common destiny, and once again engage in that noble struggle to bring justice and peace to our world."

Warm welcome

In the days leading up to the senator’s visit, a frenzy seem to take hold of the German capital, a phenomenon the German media dubbed, "Obamamania." His visit dominated headlines, blogs and even everyday conversation in cafes and pubs.

So it was no surprise that Obama was warmly welcomed by a crowd of about 200,000 consisting of Germans and Americans living in Berlin as well as curious tourists. After strolling confidently to the podium to rapturous applause, chanting and a sea of American flags, he enthusiastically thanked those attending at the event as well as Chancellor Angela Merkel, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and flamboyant Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit all of whom he met with earlier in the day. 

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