Photo Gallery: Berlin Prepares for Obama Speech

[LSK]

http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,1249428,00.jpg

Berliners are getting excited about Thursday's visit and speech by US presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama.

http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,1249436,00.jpg

Fans have begun handing out cards advertising the speach. No tickets are required, but you'll save yourself a lot of headaches if you don't brings any banners, bags or placards. They're banned!

http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,1249443,00.jpg

After much wrangling between federal and city officials, the Obama camp chose to deliver the speech at the Siegessäule, or Victory Column, which sits on a traffic circle in the middle of the Tiergarten, the city's central park

http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,1249467,00.jpg

Between the Brandenburg Gate and the Siegessäule is a kilometer-long stretch of road named the Strasse des 17. Juni. TV cameras will be aimed to capture images of the famous gate behind Obama as he speaks.

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The stretch of road played host to hundreds of thousands of soccer fans during the 2006 World Cup and the 2008 European Championships. Huge screens will be set up for those needing a better view of the speech, just as they did during these games.

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-33559.html

Also see the story on Obama - An American Idol in Germany

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,567148,00.html

This is going to be huge folks!!!

:popcorn: