Heike Behrend (born 27 May 1947 in Stralsund) is a German social anthropologist, specialized in African and Media studies.
Her research is focused on ritual practices, religion, and memory, exploring the intersections between local African beliefs and global influences.
After a visiting professorship at the Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales in Paris in May 1994, she became a tenured professor at the Institute for African Studies at the University of Cologne.
During various visiting professorships and senior fellowships, she taught again at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes in Paris in 1997, and in 2003 at the Programme of African Studies (PAS) of Northwestern University, Evanston, USA.
[6] In his introduction to the English translation, Yale University professor of anthropology John F. M. Middleton welcomed Behrend's detailed description of the internal organization of the movement.
[12] Behrend was particularly interested in how African communities use visual media to represent themselves and engage with their past, as well as with their religious beliefs and practices.
[13] Her research contributed to the understanding of photography as a cultural practice that goes beyond mere documentation, influencing how history and memory are constructed and communicated.