Guide to the Papers of Berthold Rosenthal (1875-1957)
1706-1959 (bulk: 1927-1952)
AR 637

Series I: Writings, 1904-1956.

Arrangement:

This series is divided into two subseries: Manuscripts and Periodical Articles.

Scope and Content:

Series I is comprised of the writings of Berthold Rosenthal. The first subseries features unpublished works, while the second contains published essays. One popular topic, which concerned many of his writings, is the theme of Jewish education. His essays include musings on Jewish schools, the education of Jewish children, teaching, and youth literature.

Another topic prominent in this series is the history of Jewish communities, mainly in Baden. Rosenthal's work discusses communities in Baden in general, as well as specific cities or towns, such as Frankfurt am Main, Rastatt, Offenburg, Wetzlar, and Worms. Mannheim is a particularly popular topic, and Subseries 2 of this series is dedicated to articles on Mannheim, covering such topics as the Jewish community, the history of a Jewish school, and various essays on Jews in Mannheim.

Other topics encountered in this series include writings on specific people, or the history of specific families.

Subseries 1: Manuscripts,  1926-1932.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 1 consists of unpublished handwritten and typed manuscripts concerning Jewish history in Baden and the Palatinate (Pfalz) in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of the manuscripts in Subseries 1 are texts of lectures given by Berthold Rosenthal while he was teaching in Mannheim. Most of the manuscripts are undated, although many of them are identified as having been written when Berthold Rosenthal worked as a teacher in Mannheim, between 1901 and 1933. Writings concern the Jewish communities of the cities of Karlsruhe, Mannheim, and Worms. Several of the manuscripts also deal with topics related to children or the education of children.

Subseries 2: Periodical Articles,  1904-1956.

Scope and Content:

This subseries holds articles written by Berthold Rosenthal which were published in newspapers or newsletters. The most prominent topics of these articles are Jewish history or the education of Jewish children and the Jewish school system. A few of the writings are not articles written by Rosenthal, but are his letters to the editor.

A) Baden

B) Mannheim

C) General

Series II: Community Histories, undated, 1935.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

Series II is comprised of indexes, lists, and documents focusing on Jewish communities in Baden. Many of the documents found in this series are notes made by Rosenthal of original documents. Several folders in this series contain a list of family names adopted by Baden Jews. Another prominent list are the excerpts from the minutes of the Mannheim city council; the excerpts are notes of material which dated from 1661-1809. Lists of Jews in various areas of Baden are also available.

Series III: Original Documents, 1784-1953.

Arrangement:

Divided into three subseries: Documents; Pictures, Photographs, and Photocopies; and Naphtali-Epstein-Verein.

Scope and Content:

Series III is made up largely of original documents, which were collected by Berthold Rosenthal but do not pertain to him or his family. The first subseries holds documemts from various Jewish communities. The third subseries contains original documents pertaining to the Naphtali-Epstein-Verein. Much of these document the running and membership of the Verein. Subseries 2 holds photographs and photocopies of individuals, synagogues, documents, and a gravestone.

Subseries 1: Documents,  1784-1902,1953.

Arrangement:

Chronological.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 1 contains original documents, mostly from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Many of these documents pertain to relations in Jewish communities, especially those of Mannheim, Weinheim, Karlsruhe, and Heidelberg. Several of the documents deal with financial considerations, and a few are from government officials.

Subseries 2: Pictures, Photographs, and Photocopies,  undated.

Scope and Content:

This subseries is comprised of pictures, photographs, and photocopies of Jewish communal leaders and rabbis, synagogues; documents, and a gravestone. Most of the representations are of the outsides and insides of various synagogues.

Subseries 3: Naphtali-Epstein-Verein,  1852-1940.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 3 includes information on the Naphtali-Epstein-Verein. Documents here provide information on what the Verein was, its financial situation, its statutes, and some correspondence. Box 4, folder 39 contains listings of members of the Verein.

Series IV: Family Trees, 1924-1956.

Arrangement:

Separated into three subseries: Four Family Trees; Family Trees A-Z; and Correspondence Concerning Family Trees.

Scope and Content:

Series IV holds the majority of genealogical information in this collection. It includes numerous detailed genealogical tables, family trees, and family histories of Jewish families living in various areas of Baden. This series also features correspondence with family members concerning family histories. This series does not hold genealogical information on Rosenthal's own family.

Subseries 1: Four Family Trees: the Klaus, Teutsch, Neter, and Weiss Families,  1936.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

This subseries holds information on four family trees, namely the Klaus, Teutsch, Neter, and Weiss families. Material on the Teutsch family includes an extensive amount of oversized, printed genealogical tables of ancestors and descendants of the Teutsch family and a few associated families. Documents concerning the Weiss family include family trees, a description of the family history, and copies of marriage and death certificates.

Subseries 2: Family Trees A-Z,  1924-1956.

Arrangement:

Mostly alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

This subseries contains family trees, genealogical tables, and detailed family histories of some of the many families Berthold Rosenthal conducted genealogical research for. Some correspondence on families he researched will also be found here, as well as notes on families.

Folder 64 of this subseries does not contain genealogical information but holds information in English on the history of the city of Gailingen.

Subseries 3: Correspondence Concerning Family Trees,  1930-1939, 1951-1956.

Arrangement:

Mostly alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 3 is comprised of correspondence concerning the genealogical tables and histories of many families for whom Berthold Rosenthal collected information on. Discussions include notes on families, sketches of family trees, and especially conversations about family histories. Other topics discussed in this subseries includes the history of a family name and information on a particular person.

Series V: Correspondence, 1929-1939. 1955-1957.

Arrangement:

Mostly alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

This series holds correspondence between Berthold Rosenthal and various individuals. Many of the letters found here discuss facts of the correspondent's family history with Rosenthal. Among the correspondence with Professor Avneri there is also some information on Germania Judaica, the large work on German Jews published in 1926, which Berthold Rosenthal contributed to. Rosenthal was responsible for gathering information on Jews in Baden for this work. Letters exchanged with Avneri also contain a small amount of biographical information on Rosenthal. In addition, some correspondence with libraries and other professors on topics he was researching will also be found here.

Series VI: Diversa, 1834-1845,1922-1939, 1958.

Arrangement:

Divided into three subseries: Community Newspapers; Book Excerpts; and Book Reviews.

Scope and Content:

Series VI is the smallest in the collection, and contains newspapers articles, book excerpts, and a book review of Berthold Rosenthal's work Heimatgeschichte der badischen Juden seit ihrem geschichtlichen Auftreten bis zur Gegenwart. Some of the newspaper articles hold articles by Berthold Rosenthal, and concern Mannheim's Jewish Community.

Subseries 1: Community Newspapers,  1905,1922-1939.

Scope and Content:

This subseries holds newspapers published by the Jewish community in Mannheim. Half of the articles in this subseries are also present in Series I: Writings, Subseries 2: Newspaper Articles. Five of the newspapers placed here do not appear to have any articles written by Berthold Rosenthal. Most of the articles in this collection concern the history of the Jewish community in Mannheim.

Subseries 2: Book Excerpts,  1834-1845,1958.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 2 is small and contains brief excerpts from books, possibly used by Berthold Rosenthal as research notes for his writing or genealogical work.

Subseries 3: Book Reviews,  1927-1928.

Scope and Content:

This small subseries holds a book review of Berthold Rosenthal's work Heimatgeschichte der badischen Juden seit ihrem geschichtlichen Auftreten bis zur Gegenwart.

Series VII: Personal Records and Papers, 1706-1957.

Arrangement:

Separated into five subseries: Ancestors of Berthold Rosenthal from Baden; Ancestors of Babette Weil; the Bavarian Rosenthals; Letters from Jewish and Christian Agencies; and Documents.

Scope and Content:

This small series holds the genealogical information from Berthold Rosenthal's own family. It includes a family tree and copies of his mother's vital records and an obituary for his father. In addition, there is material dealing with Rosenthal ancestors from Karlsruhe and Ühlfeld.

Subseries 1: Ancestors of Berthold Rosenthal from Baden,  1706-1933.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 1 contains documents pertaining to those of Berthold Rosenthal's ancestors who came from the area near Karlsruhe. It includes notes, a family tree, poems, and an article. In addition, there is also an obituary of his father Emanuel Rosenthal.

Subseries 2: Ancestors of Babette Weil,  undated.

Scope and Content:

This subseries holds two folders of documents concerning Berthold Rosenthal's mother Babette Weil. It includes notes for a family tree and notarized copies of her vital records.

Subseries 3: The Bavarian Rosenthals,  1875-1957.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 3 is comprised of one folder of documents focusing on ancestors of Berthold Rosenthal and his relatives who came, directly or indirectly, from Ühlfeld.

Subseries 4: Letters from Jewish and Christian Agencies,  1912-1956.

Scope and Content:

Many of the documents in Subseries 4 are correspondence from individuals. Some of the correspondence concerns measures taken by the Nazis which affected Rosenthal, such as his being removed from the Mannheimer Altertumsverein, and a letter from the Ortsgruppe Heidelberg canceling his lectures on Jewish history. Other letters have to do with his work, including one from the Stadtschulamt Mannheim concerning an article sent by Rosenthal regarding the history of Volkshochschulen for Jewish students in Germany and with the Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaft des Judentum concerning essays he wrote for them on the history of Jews in Germany.

Subseries 5: Documents,  1762-1959.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 5 consists of documents having to do with the Rosenthal family. It includes several legal documents which focus on such topics as inheritance, marriage, and compensation. There is also some documentation on the Banzian family, including family trees, correspondence, and newspaper clippings. A review of Berthold Rosenthal's work Heimatgeschichte der badischen Juden will also be found here.

Series VIII: Addenda, 1927-1959.

Scope and Content:

This series consists of items added to the collection after its initial processing. Prominent among the items in this series are the copy of the Berthold Rosenthal's work Heimatgeschichte der Badischen Juden and accompanying notes by Rosenthal pertaining to material found in the book. Most of the notes were originally placed between pages of the book; these have been removed to separate folders for preservation purposes. Other items found in this series are related to Rosenthal's research, including notes, booklists, correspondence with an archivist at the Stadtarchiv of Wertheim am Main, documents from the University of Heidelberg, and ordering slips from the Hebrew Union College.