Peter (formerly P. Hermann) was born in Vienna on June 27, 1902. His father, Professor Dr.Victor Hammerschlag, was a renowned medical specialist. The family was highly assimilated in the Viennese society. It is not clear as to why, but the entire family left Judaism and converted to Christianity.
Hammerschlag studied at the Graphic Arts Training Institution of Vienna. He was a gifted writer. In 1930, his poetry was published in several prominent newspapers in Vienna, Berlin and Prague. He also became interested in the theatre and embarked on a new career by performing in Werner Finck’s cabaret, Berlin, which was known for political satire. In 1931, he was co-founder in Vienna of Stella Kadmon’s cabaret Der Liebe Augustin and soon became a scriptwriter, performer and master of ceremonies. He was invited to be the in-house scriptwriter for the cabaret Literatur am Naschmarkt. Hammerschlag was interested in the concept of a sophisticated literary cabaret and made many contributions writing scripts and lyrics to be used in its development. In 1935, he wrote for the Kleinkunst in den Colonnaden, in Vienna. He was also known for his talent to improvise parodies of authors named by the audience.
In 1938, following the take over of Austria by Nazi Germany, Peter Hammerschlag, still considered a Jew by the Germans, escaped to Yugoslavia. He returned Vienna in 1940 and found a hiding place with composer Alexander Steinbrecher. There he wrote under an alias for Viennese the Werkel. He was found by the Gestapo and arrested. Peter Hammerschlag was deported to Theresienstadt and then to Auschwitz where he was killed on July 17, 1942.