During John F. Kennedy’s visit to Germany in June 1963, large crowds lined the streets in many places and occupied every available vantage point to catch a glimpse of the U.S. President. The photograph shows waiting youths on a stone ledge of a historic building, accompanied by an usher or police officer below. Kennedy’s visit sparked broad enthusiasm among the West German population, which must be understood in the context of the Cold War and the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.