Peter Lustig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Fritz Willi Lustig
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Lustig in October 2009
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| Born |
Peter Fritz Willi Lustig
27 October 1937 |
| Died | 23 February 2016 (aged 78) Bohmstedt, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
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| Occupation | Television presenter, voice actor, narrator, author |
| Years active | 1970 - 2016 |
| Spouse(s) | Elfie Donnelly (1973 - 2016) |
Peter Fritz Willi Lustig (born October 27, 1937 – died February 23, 2016) was a famous German television presenter. He was also a voice actor and author of children's books. He is best known for hosting the weekly children's TV show Löwenzahn. He hosted this show from 1979 until 2006.
During its first year, the show was called Pusteblume. Peter Lustig also hosted the show Mittendrin (1987–95). He narrated the film Gordos Reise ans Ende der Welt (2007). He also gave the German voice for the computer game character Gary Gadget.
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Peter Lustig's Life Story
Peter Lustig was not trained as an actor or TV host. He first studied to become a broadcast engineer and an electronics engineer. In 1963, he worked for the American Forces Network as a radio engineer. He helped record US President John F. Kennedy's famous speech Ich bin ein Berliner in Berlin.
Starting His TV Career
In 1970, Peter Lustig began appearing on television. His first TV appearance was a short funny scene in the popular German children's show Die Sendung mit der Maus. In this scene, a raw egg was dropped onto his bald head. He made funny comments about it.
He then had small roles in Die Sendung mit der Maus and the German parts of Sesame Street. People started to like him more and more. This led to him getting his own show, Löwenzahn, starting in 1979.
The Löwenzahn Show
On Löwenzahn, Peter Lustig explained many interesting things about science and nature to children. He made learning fun and easy to understand.
His TV character always wore special blue dungarees. He lived in a wooden building site cabin in a made-up town called Bärstadt ("Beartown"). He often ended an episode by telling viewers to turn off their TV. He would make a famous hand gesture, like he was turning off an old television set.
In 2006, Peter Lustig stopped hosting Löwenzahn. This was mainly because of health problems. He had been diagnosed with lung cancer in 1984. He fought the illness for ten years and got better. However, he had to have one of his lungs removed. This made it hard for him to breathe and he sometimes needed a walking stick.
Books by Peter Lustig
Peter Lustig also wrote many books. These include the science comic Wie funktioniert ein Auto? ("How does a car work?") from 1983. This book explained how cars work.
He also wrote two books about crafts called Peter Lustigs Bastelbuch ("Peter Lustig's Book of Handicraft") in 1985 and 1987. In 1992, he wrote a children's cookbook called Kochbuch für kleine Feinschmecker ("Cookbook for little gourmets").
He also wrote Vertonen: Der Ton zu den Bildern ("Set to music: The Soundtrack to the Images") in 1987. This book was about adding sounds to films and slideshows. Another book was Lieber Momme: Wunderliche Briefe ("Beloved Momme: Strange Letters") from 1989. This book was made of letters he wrote to his young son from the hospital. Peter Lustig spent a lot of time in the hospital in the 1980s because of his lung cancer operations.
Peter Lustig's second wife was Elfie Donnelly. She was a British-Austrian children's author. She wrote a book called Peters Flucht ("Peter's escape") in 1986. This book was about Peter Lustig's escape with his family from the city of Breslau (now Wrocław) in 1945, when he was 8 years old.
His Final Years
Peter Lustig passed away on February 23, 2016, at the age of 78. He died at his home in Bohmstedt, near Husum. His family was with him. He is survived by his four children and nine grandchildren.
In May 2016, he was buried at sea. This was his last wish. He loved nature and the sea very much.
Awards and Recognition
Peter Lustig won many awards for his work. He received two famous Adolf-Grimme-Preis awards for Löwenzahn.
In 2004, he was given the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. This is a very important award given for special achievements. He received it for his efforts in educating children. The award was given to him by the German head of state at the time, Horst Köhler.
