U.S. President Ronald Reagan delivered his “Tear down this wall!” speech in West Berlin on 12 June 1987.
Reagan spoke near the Brandenburg Gate during a visit marking the 750th anniversary of Berlin. Addressing Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, he challenged him to demonstrate a commitment to greater openness by removing the barrier that divided the city. The sentence became the speech’s most famous line: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
The speech did not immediately cause the Wall to fall, and its historical importance is debated alongside broader factors such as Soviet reforms, East German protests, and economic problems. Nevertheless, it became one of the best-known public statements of the Cold War. Reagan’s words were delivered more than two years before the Wall actually opened and more than three years before German reunification.