Although Petersen was very successful as an architect and several of his buildings are now listed as historical monuments, he achieved greater fame in the short period of time as an actor in mountain films alongside Leni Riefenstahl.

He was the nephew of director Arnold Fanck and took part in several of his movies in his youth alongside Leni Riefenstahl's and Ernst Udet's.

Petersen also became connected to his colleague in the architectural field, Luis Trenker,  through Fanck's film activity.

Petersen subsequently received many commissions from the Henkel chemical company, for which he continued to realize several settlement projects after the Second World War.

As early as 1936/1937 he was able to build his own large house in Berlin-Dahlem, with adjoining workrooms and a sculpture studio for his wife.