70 Years of Liberty Bell - 70 years of radio broadcasting

A contribution by Deutschlandfunk Kultur from the brochure “70 Years of Liberty Bell in Berlin – 1950 to 2020”

Again and again we are asked why the “Freiheitsglocke“ (Liberty Bell) can be heard on Sunday at noon in the program of Deutschlandfunk Kultur. On the occasion of its anniversary – the bell was first heard on October 24, 1950 – Martin Baumgärtel explains its historical context.

The (Berlin) Liberty Bell

„I believe in the inviolability and in the dignity of every single human being. I believe that all people have been given the same right to freedom by God. I promise to resist every attack on freedom and tyranny, wherever they may occur.“

Sunday after Sunday, shortly before noon, this oath of freedom can be heard in the program of Deutschlandfunk Kultur, together with the tolling of the Liberty Bell at Schöneberg City Hall. For RIAS listeners, this tradition began on October 24, 1950, the day of the United Nations. On this particular day, the Liberty Bell was inaugurated with a ceremonial act. Since then, together with the vow cited at the opening, it has been part of the Berlin radio station‘s program. Initially, it was broadcasted daily, and later on to every Sunday at 12 noon.

Walter Franck, one of the most renowned actors of the Berlin Schiller Theater, spoke the words to the bell’s tolling until his death on August 10, 1961. Thereafter, the voice of Wilhelm Borchert, also a wellknown actor of the Schiller Theater, was heard every Sunday until October 1993. And since October 31, 1993, we have been hearing the voice of Thomas Holländer, first on the program of RIAS Berlin and since January 1994 on the Berlin program of the then newly founded Deutschlandradio, now Deutschlandfunk Kultur.

The Liberty Bell and the Oath of Liberty: a symbol of freedom that holds not only immense history, including the history of radio, but also an important reminder. After the Second World War, it was the Americans who, with the foundation of the “Rundfunk im amerikanischen Sektor“ (RIAS), helped to ensure free journalism and access to free information in our city and in our country. Moreover, bearing in mind that the Berlin Liberty Bell announced the German unity on October 3, 1990, the mission of Deutschlandradio to keep the idea of freedom alive by „promoting togetherness in a united Germany” becomes even more apparent.

Martin Baumgärtel
(Translation by Shaniqua Packruhn)

This article was produced as part of the media partnership between Deutschlandfunk Kultur and the District-Office of Tempelhof-Schöneberg.

"70 Years of Liberty Bell in Berlin – 1950 to 2020"

A brochure celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Freedom Bell

On October 24, 2020, the Berlin Liberty Bell at Schöneberg City Hall turned 70 years old. To mark the occasion, the District Office of Tempelhof-Schöneberg published a 40-page brochure, written in German and English, which deals with the history of the Liberty Bell, its symbolism and individual significance for the citizens of Berlin.

Content:

• Greetings of the District Mayor
• The history of the Berlin Freedom Bell
  • Berlin Post-war years and the Division of the City
  • The Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift
  • The conception of the Freedom Bell and the Crusade for Freedom
  • The Berlin Freedom Bell
  • The Ravages of Time
• 70 Years of radio broadcasting
  A contribution by Deutschlandfunk Kultur
• After 70 years: The Freedom Bell as Cold War Symbol
• The freedom I love
• Facts and figures
• Acknowledgements and Imprint

• PDF Version of the brochure