Sociable, ironic and up for almost any kind of fun – that’s how Peter describes himself, and that’s how we’ve experienced him so far. Peter is the newest member of our team and will manage the hotel and café in the new Center. With his humor and his burning heart for charity, he brings a breath of fresh air to the ZJP2 team, and tells us in a short interview how he found the Center.
“Tell us something about yourself – what are you like and how did you become the person you are now?”
I’ve done a lot in my 50 years – from teaching sex education in schools, to building lawnmowers and making Germany’s city centers unsafe as a life-size squirrel – and yet I’ve remained curious. My 20 years in the hotel industry have taught me one thing: when you work in this field, nothing seems impossible anymore, and everyone in my industry can tell full-length anecdotes that most people from outside the industry simply consider impossible, but only elicit a weary nod from colleagues. So yes – my curiosity has led me to experience a lot!
“What is your connection to the John Paul II Center and how did you join our team?”
I am the managing director of the P28 operating company, or to put it more simply, I am responsible for the hotel and café area. The Johannes Paul II Center per se is new to me, so we are currently building up our relationship. I got to know the Center via LinkedIn, which is how I came into contact through a job advertisement. We had our first talks before Easter – which means that the Center and I have been on the same path for six months now! 😊
“What do you value about your job and what are your hopes for the P28?”
Above all, I value contact with many completely different people from all over the world, whether as a guest or as an employee. I’m passionate about giving people a good time and putting a smile on their faces. For the P28, I hope to successfully implement the common goals and thus create a comfortable atmosphere with lived Christian charity. All of this coupled with economic efficiency and profitability.
„Tell me: What moves you and what are you passionate about? What is your “mission”?“
I am involved in the areas of refugees/integration and homelessness/poverty. The benefit for you is the gratitude of the people, the smile of a person despite the darkness and the passing on of a little happiness in moments of need.
Why? Sharing is fun – if you have (more than) enough yourself, you also have enough to pass on, eating together makes you happier than eating alone.
„Who is God for you? And, does faith play a role in your life?“
God is omnipotent. I derive many views from this, which are often contrary to others. I maintain a mixture of a childlike image of God (bearded, older and in white 😊) and the state of happiness described in Astrid Lindgren’s “The Lionheart Brothers”.
For me, faith is something that still has to grow – something that I envy people of all religions who can call a deep faith their own. However, God often shows himself to me in banal things: on a walk through a forest, by the sea or in the mountains. The diversity of the world, of creation, is so breathtaking that it must be divine.
The fact that my religion is Christian, or rather Catholic, is primarily due to the influence of my childhood/youth. The fact that my faith has been preserved and that it is also Catholic is due to the encounter with impressive people who have deeply impressed me in their work and nature. In addition, my father, who lives the true Christian values for me without compromise. These include charity, hospitality, the commandment of sharing and forgiveness.
