Walter Behrendt

Walter Behrendt (; 18 September 1914 – 23 July 1997 ) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and president of the European Parliament (1971–1973).

Career Behrendt was trained as a merchant and accountant. He took part in World War II and afterwards worked as clerk in an industrial firm. In 1954 he became a contributor to the company journal of Hoesch-Westfalenhütte AG in Dortmund. Behrendt joined SPD in 1932 being a member of the Socialist Working Youth (Sozialistische Arbeiterjugend). From 1945 to 1947 he was chairman of the regional Socialist Youth for Dortmund, Lünen and Castrop-Rauxel. He was chairman of the SPD branch in Dortmund-Altenderne in 1951/52 and in Dortmund from 1952 to 1955.

From 1952 until his death, Behrendt was a municipal councillor in Dortmund. In 1957 he was elected member of the Bundestag (electoral constituency: Dortmund III) and remained in office until 1976. Between 1961 and 1967 he was assistant chairman of the Labour Committee. Additionally, Behrendt was a member of the European Parliament from 1967 to 1977 where he served as vice-president (1969–71, 1973–77) and president (1971–73). He was one of the signers of the Humanist Manifesto in 1973.

Behrendt was also a member of the supervisory board of Dortmunder Stadtwerke AG and Dortmunder Hafen und Eisenbahn AG.