German Olympic Boxing Champion Wolfgang Behrendt Dies at 90
Wolfgang Behrendt, the first Olympic champion from East Germany (GDR), has died at age 90, just over a week after his birthday on June 22. Behrendt won gold in the bantamweight division at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. His funeral has already taken place within the immediate family circle. Former Olympic and world champion Henry Maske expressed deep emotion, describing Behrendt as a reserved, open-minded, and pleasant person and a very good boxer. The Berlin Boxing Association published an obituary praising him as an extraordinary personality who made history. After his boxing career, Behrendt worked as a sports photographer and was also known for his trumpet playing. He served on the presidium of the GDR Boxing Sports Association for many years. In recent years, he lived reclusively in Berlin-Schöneweide. He was predeceased by his wife Monika (2016), his son Mario (2022), and his youngest son Heiko (March 2026).
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