The "Berliner Rede" is given on an annual basis by the current German Federal President or a guest speaker of his/her choice. The theme of the speech is chosen by the speaker him/herself and taken from current issues facing the nation.

The Berliner Rede gives a prominent member of the political, business, cultural or science community the opportunity to speak in the capital city about a contemporary topic or socio-political issue.

The Berliner Rede also allows Berlin to position itself as the intellectual centre of Germany.

The Berliner Rede Tradition

The first "Berliner Rede" was held on April 26, 1997 by then Federal President Roman Herzog. The chosen date was a reference to April 27, 1920, the so-called "birthday of greater Berlin". On this date, more than three-quarters of a century earlier, the Prussian State Assembly passed a law creating "a new municipality of Berlin", which expanded the city’s surface area by almost 15 times its previous size. The Berliner Rede has taken place every year since 1997 on or around this historical date.

The Berliner Rede is given by the Federal President or a guest speaker of his/her choice. The theme of the speech is chosen by the speaker him/herself and taken from current socio-political issues facing the nation. The Berliner Rede is a social event of national and international importance and a permanent fixture on the capital city’s event calendar.

Berlin Partner organizes the event in cooperation with the Federal President’s Office. The location of the speech is chosen based on the theme selected by the speaker.

The German TV channels Phoenix and n-tv feature live coverage of the Berliner Rede. Over 400 invited guests from the fields of politics, business, science and the diplomatic corps attend the event each year. The text of the Berliner Rede is available online in its original language.