A smartly presented tribute to the pop star of politics. There is no doubt about John Fitzgerald Kennedy's special place in the history of Berlin. Just two years after the Wall went up around the western sectors of the city in 1961, and with memories of the 1948 Soviet blockade still fresh, the energetic US president symbolized freedom for West Berliners.

Hundreds of thousands gathered in the streets during Kennedy's eight-hour visit to West Berlin in 1963, which climaxed in the unforgettable' Ich bin ein Berliner' speech from the balcony of Schöneberg's City Hall. His solidarity with Berlin is still appreciated today. About 10,000 documents, 1,000 photos and objects such as JFK's briefcase and Jackie's pillbox hat (after all, the Kennedys are the closest the US ever had to royalty) are on display in this permanent exhibition.

Although Kennedy's legacy is disputed, he remains an icon, more for his young, dynamic image than for what he achieved as president. This makes him a perfect symbol, not for what the United States is, but for what it always wanted to be.