During his visit to Germany from June 23 to 26, 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy was received by large, enthusiastic crowds at several stops. The visible American flags among the spectators point to the symbolic significance of the visit as a sign of transatlantic solidarity during the Cold War. Kennedy’s journey through the Federal Republic and West Berlin was regarded by the population as a reaffirmation of the American promise of protection, two years after the construction of the Berlin Wall.