brandt stayed leader of the spd, and later of the socialist international too. he was member of the european parliament from 1978 to 1983. he gave up the position as chief of the spd in 1987. willy brandt died of colon cancer at his home in unkel, a town on the river rhine, on 8 october 1992, at the age of 78. he was given a state funeral and was buried at the cemetery at zehlendorf in berlin.