The Berlin Wall was erected by the GDR in August 1961 and separated West Berlin from the eastern part of the city as well as from the surrounding area. The sign ‘Attention! You are now leaving West Berlin’ marked the border to the Soviet-controlled sector. Kennedy’s visit to West Berlin on June 26, 1963 included, among other things, a visit to the Wall, which stood as a central symbol of German division and the Cold War. The photograph was taken in the context of the state visit and documents the condition of the border installations at that time.