Mr. Sarkozy, the president of France, said he had been, in a post on his Facebook page on Sunday. But while he was in Berlin on Monday celebrating the anniversary with other world leaders, the media back home in Paris were suggesting that he had his dates mixed up.

“On the morning of Nov. 9, we looked into the news from Berlin, which indicated that change was afoot in Germany’s divided capital,” he wrote about events in 1989 in his Facebook post, which includes a photograph of himself at the Berlin Wall at night.

“We decided to leave Paris with Alain Juppé and take part in the event that was shaping up,” he wrote. At the time, Mr. Juppé was the secretary general of Mr. Sarkozy’s center-right political party.

Mr. Sarkozy’s post goes on to describe how he and Mr. Juppé rushed to the Brandenburg Gate.

“Later, we went to Checkpoint Charlie to go through to the eastern side of the city and confront this wall, on which we were able to land a few blows with a pickax,” he wrote.

It was meant to be a heartwarming account of an enthusiastic Mr. Sarkozy witnessing a historical moment, but sentiment here soured after the French media riffled through archives and questioned not the trip, but the date.

On Nov. 9, 1989, Mr. Juppé was in France at a ceremony to honor Charles de Gaulle, according to Le Figaro, citing its own coverage of that event.

Mr. Juppé also appeared on French television news the next day, but made no mention of having been in Berlin with Mr. Sarkozy.

The growing doubts inspired some Facebook users to post sarcastic comments on Mr. Sarkozy’s page.

“Mr. President, is it true that you were present at the coronation of the Emperor Napoleon?” wrote a user who identified himself as Adam Labrosse. That took place in 1804.

Mr. Sarkozy’s office stuck by the Facebook post.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/world/europe/10sarkozy.html?pagewanted=print

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company