During U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Germany from June 23 to 26, 1963, the population received the state guest with extraordinary enthusiasm. The photograph shows a densely packed, waving crowd behind a police barrier. Such large gatherings were characteristic of all stops on the journey—from Cologne and Bonn via Frankfurt to West Berlin. The visit took place against the backdrop of the Cold War and the wall construction that had existed since 1961.