[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I've heard Germans who've taken it both ways. Strictly speaking, “Berliner” in this context should be taken as an adjective, as in “I am American” (German, “Ich bin Amerikaner.”) However, “I am an American” is perfectly grammatical.

“Ich bin ein Berliner” is, at worst, ambiguous and somewhat awkward. It's hard to think the listener would have construed the noun “Berliner” to mean a pastry in context. I remember seeing the speech on TV news at the time and the crowd went wild.

By the way, JFK didn't say he was a Berliner, he said that the proudest words a person could say were once “Sum cives Romanus.” but today they were “Ich bin ein Berliner.” He was praising Berlin for being in the forefront of the struggle for freedom.

[sionnsar]

“Ich bin ein Berliner” is, at worst, ambiguous and somewhat awkward.

Equivalent to?
   I am Danish.
   I am a Danish.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Thank you for the clarification especially the context of the statement itself. I always thought that he was indeed claiming to be a dou Berlin resident.

Thanks again.

Now.. about the time Jimmy Carter told a crowd in Poland that he wanted to have sex with each and everyone of them. . . .

[Michael81Dus]

No, he actually said he was a Berliner:

“All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. And therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words: Ich bin ein Berliner!”

And you´re right that his words are not understood in a “pastry context”. A jelly-filled doughnut is called “Berliner” only in West Germany. In Southern Germany it´s called “Krapfen” and in the East they name it “Pfannkuchen” - all three words describe the same thing.