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I found this and I'ld thought I would share the truth

†œJelly doughnutââ‚à ƒâ€šÃ‚¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ÂÂ� urban legend



A common urban legend falsely asserts that Kennedy made an embarrassing grammatical error by saying †œIch bin ein Berliner,â₠¬Â� referring to himself not as a citizen of Berlin, but as a common pastry.

Berliner is the name given to doughnuts filled with plum sauce or jam in most of Germany, though not in Berlin or the surrounding region, where they are known as Pfannkuchen. According to the legend, Kennedy should have said †œIch bin Berlinerââ‚à ƒâ€šÃ‚¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ÂÂ� to mean †œI am a Berliner (person from Berlin)â₠¬ÃƒÆ’‚ÂÂÂ�. By adding the indefinite article ein, it is claimed, his statement implied he was a non-human Berliner, thus †œI am a jelly doughnut.ââ‚ ¬ÂÂÂÂ� In the legend, the statement was followed by uproarious laughter.

In German, statements of origin or profession may be made without an article, thus †œIch bin Arztââ‚ ¬Ã‚ÂÂÂ�(usual) or †œIch bin Brandenburgerâ↚¬ÂÂÂÂ�(unusual) (I am a doctor; I am from Brandenburg). However, †œIch bin ein Arztââ‚ ¬Ã‚ÂÂÂ�(unusual) or †œIch bin ein Brandenburgerâ↚¬ÂÂÂÂ�(usual) is also possible and not a mistake. If you add the article †œeinâà ƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã‚ÂÂÂ� it will be a form of emphasis: it implies †œjust one of many.ââ‚ƚ¬Ã‚ÂÂÂ� In Germany it sounds weird if you say †œIch bin Berlinerââ‚à ƒâ€šÃ‚¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ÂÂ�. It is indeed the case that, if you ask a †œBerlinerÃÂà ‚¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã‚ƚÂÂ� from which town he is, he would reply †œIch bin ein Berlinerââ‚à ƒâ€šÃ‚¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ÂÂ�. German linguist JÃÃâ€*’¼rgen Eichhoff insists that Kennedyââ‚à ‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s phrasing was †œnot only correct, but the one and only correct way of expressing in German what the President intended to say.ââ‚ ¬Ã‚ÂÂÂ� [1] When speaking, Kennedy did indeed stress the ein.

During the speech, Kennedy used the phrase twice. After he said it the first time, he was applauded, and added jokingly, †œI appreciate my interpreter translating my German!ââ‚à ‚¬Ã‚ÂÂ� This statement was followed by laughter and applause. He also used the phrase to end his speech.

The urban legend apparently arose in Florida in the 1980s, culminating in an article repeating it in The New York Times in 1988. Although it has no basis in fact, the legend has since been repeated by other reputable media outlets, such as the BBC, and in books about Germany written by English-speaking authors.

However, the legend is unknown in Germany, where Kennedyââ‚à ‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s speech is considered a landmark in German postwar history. Common souvenirs in Berlin depicting a doughnut covered with the inscription †œIch bin ein Berliner,ââ‚ ¬ÂÂÂ� which are often thought by American tourists to refer to this legend, represent little more than a play on words.

Furthermore, the speech had been prepared by journalist Robert Lochner, who was educated in Germany, and had been practiced several times in front of numerous Germans, including Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt. The many video and audio recordings of the event show only enthusiastic applause following the statement.

Kennedy did, however, pronounce the sentence with a strong Boston accent, reading from his note †œish bin ein Bearleener,â₠¬Ã‚Â� which he had written out phonetically.