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John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, photography credit Joel Benjamin
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, photography credit Joel Benjamin
Replica of The Freedom Bell
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, photography credit Joel Benjamin
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Replica of The Freedom Bell

Artifact IDMO 63.286
Object Type Bell
Date ca. 1961
Date Presented3/13/61
Gifter
Place of GiftWashington, D.C., United States
Place MadeGermany
Medium Silver plate, wood
DimensionsOverall H 6 3/4 in x W 5 in (17.1 cm x 12.7 cm )
Physical DescriptionSilver cast Freedom Bell, a symbol of American support for Berlin and German-American friendship. The bell is decorated in bas relief with five human torch bearers with arms out stretched, holding a torch in their left hands and grasping the adjacent torch with their right hands. The figures are bordered by a running leaf and berry pattern above their heads and an inscription in raised lettering that reads: "That this world under God shall have a new birth of Freedom." The bell has a grooved loop handle and sits on a black lacquer base. A silver plate nailed to base is engraved with a presentation inscription: The President of the United States of America John Fitzgerald Kennedy als Zeichen herzlicher Verbundenheit Marz 1961 Willy Brandt Regierender Burgermiester Von Berlin.
Historical NoteThis small-scale replica of the Freedom Bell was presented to President John F. Kennedy by West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt in the Oval Office on March 13, 1961, during Brandt's visit to the White House.

A symbol of the Cold War meant to convey a "symbolic sound of hope" to those "trapped by Soviet tyranny," the original bronze Freedom Bell was created as part of U.S. efforts to fund Radio Free Europe broadcasts behind the Iron Curtain. The full-sized bell, which was cast in England and weighed about 10 tons, toured 26 cities throughout the United States under the auspices of the National Committee for a Free Europe's Crusade for Freedom campaign. Afterward the bell was given by the United States to West Berlin and hung in the tower of Schoeneberg Town Hall where, on October 24, 1950, it pealed "notes of hope and strength" that "echoed the vigorous sounds of Western democracy," said the New York Times.

The quote around the base of the replica--"That this world under God shall have a new birth of Freedom"--was taken from the last line of the Declaration of Freedom that accompanied the original bell to Berlin and was read as part of the dedication ceremonies.

Additional Details
Custodial History NoteItem was a gift from Mayor of Berlin to the President Kennedy presented in the Oval Office, received through the Executive office and transferred to the General Service Administration where it was held until donated to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum by the Estate of President John F. Kennedy in 1965.
Credit LineJohn F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA; Gift of the Estate of President John F. Kennedy
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesGifts from Heads of State (National Archives Identifier 1677008)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedUse Restriction NoteReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Not on view
Related Links
Mayor Brandt presents President Kennedy with a replica of the Freedom Bell: "Museum Collection – Replica of Freedom Bell, Berlin"