In the course of Kennedy’s visit to West Berlin on June 26, 1963, this photograph shows a heavily damaged multi-story brick façade with bricked-up window openings – presumably a historical record of the war destruction that remained visible in the divided city 18 years after the end of the war. West Berlin in 1963 was marked by the construction of the wall in 1961 and the Cold War; such urban scenes formed the backdrop of the visit. Kennedy was to reaffirm the solidarity of the United States to the West Berlin population.