Jan Claas Behrends (born 5 December 1969) is a German historian, who is known for his research on Stalinism, propaganda, public discourse, violence and wars in the Soviet and post-Soviet space.

[2] He is a senior researcher at the Centre for Contemporary History, and formerly worked at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center.

[3][4] He was a Feodor Lynen Fellow at the University of Chicago in 2007, sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Die Welt described him as one of the most renowned experts on the Soviet secret police, the Cheka, and its successors until the present day, including today's FSB.

Behrends is a member of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Osteuropakunde and the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES).