Fr. Peter Knauer passed away on July 21st 2024 in Berlin. He served in works of the Conference of European Provincials in Brussels for 15 years, between 2003 and 2018. It was not only because of his reputation as an excellent theologian and a highly appreciated chaplain and companion that Peter was famous in Brussels. All his different activities reflected very well the Ignatian adage “en todo amar y servir”: the pastoral work in his Spanish community, where he has left a big part of his heart; the Eucharists and spiritual accompaniment in many languages (including Esperanto) in the Foyer Catholique, the Chapel for Europe and the German-speaking community; the retreats he used to lead; books and articles he wrote, and, last but not least, his care for the community and the famous “Peter Pan” – the bread he baked every day.  

A Brief Biography

Father Peter Knauer was born in Berlin and grew up there with his brother Herbert. His father was a district court judge and his mother looked after the family household. In 1953, he graduated from Canisius College (CK) in Berlin and entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus on Jakobsberg in the same year. After the juniorate in Tisis/Feldkirch, he studied at the Berchmans College in Pullach from 1956 to 1959 and graduated with a licentiate in philosophy. After completing his master's degree at the CK in Berlin, he went on to study for a licentiate at the Faculty of Theology in Leuven (Belgium) from 1961 to 1965. From 1966 to 1969, he completed his doctorate at the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Münster and subsequently became a lecturer in fundamental theology at the Sankt Georgen School of Philosophy and Theology in Frankfurt am Main. He became Associate Professor of Dogmatics in 1978 and held the Chair of Fundamental Theology from 1980. He was also Vice-Rector of the university from 1993 to 1997. After his retirement in 2003, he worked at the Foyer Catholique Européen and the Office Catholique d'Information et d'Initiative pour l'Europe (OCIPE) in Brussels until 2018. Father Knauer also made an outstanding contribution to the reception of the Society of Jesus' own texts, which he retranslated from the original languages and published. Since 2018, he lived in Berlin-Kladow in the Jesuit retirement community Peter-Faber-Haus. After a short period of suffering, he now laid his life back into the hands of his Creator at Havelhöhe Hospital. A memorial mass will be celebrated on September 11th at 19:00 at the Chapel for Europe in Brussels.