What was Reagan's true purpose of his Tear Down This Wall speech?

President Ronald Reagan's Tear Down This Wall speech to the people of West Berlin contains one of his most well-known lines spoken during his presidency.

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” That wall was a barrier to freedom for 26 years. No one even imagined at that time that the wall would come down.

The speech was made at the Brandenburg Gate near the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987. It was made to honor the 750th anniversary of Berlin.