Peter Anderschitz, Architect

Born in post-war Berlin, Peter grew up in a divided city, nation, and culture. He studied architecture and urban planning at the Technical University Berlin; in 1968 he got a diploma with O.M.Ungers, concluding with a thesis which was to become a radical critique of the established role and self-image of the architect in society. Peter began to understand that his longing for beauty and harmony was not to be an exclusive one, but was to embrace all life, and that he had always been "searching for that unifying essence in everything, for a spiritual grounding."

Peter's 'career' therefore began quite experientially as a taxi driver, living in communes, traveling to new horizons. In his own words "always keeping myself open for the unexpected. And so I discovered Sri Aurobindo's work, which resulted in my reaching Mother India, meeting the Mother, seeing that strikingly radiating model of her dream city-with-a-soul, touching the red soil of that promised land, coming home, here, in that laboratory of the future the real journey could begin. This was in 1971/73."

Since then Peter worked in the fields of housing, urban-environmental planning, international net-working, land art, and lately in 'open space' participatory planning exercises, getting involved in various activities, where that 'unifying essence' had a chance to manifest.

In the late 1980s, Peter was part of a group of architects, town planners and people keen to live together and be part of an experiment that could change the trend of habitation, with benefits to the future township. Much time and many discussions later, three architects - Suhasini, Ajit, and Peter - designed parts of the Samasti project separately, exchanging ideas on those decisions that would influence the neighbourhood as a whole. The result was Samasti community, where Peter designed four houses.

In his later years Peter kept spending much of his time in Berlin and the rest of Europe, giving talks and presentations as a kind of "ambassador" for Auroville and its architecture. He was affectionately called "Peter Pan" by his friends, a seemingly apt nickname that characterizes his usually sweet, free-spirited and easy-going manner.

He passed away due to cancer on June 13th, 2026 at Marika Home, choosing to die there rather than undergoing life-extending treatment at Jipmer hospital. His funeral took place on Friday 19th June, at the Auroville Burial Ground.

A note from Paulette Hadnagy in remembrance

Architect Peter, with a broad chest but super thin, with strong facial features, was a typical 1968 product. Peter graduated with a legendary teacher, worked with Roger Anger in the early years, and we first met on the Matrimandir roof, where both of us worked.