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ROSENBERGER Origin of surname

ROSENBERGER

Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name.

This German Jewish family name literally means "from the rose mountain".

Literally "rose mountain" in German, Rosenberg and its Yiddish equivalent Roisenberg can be associated with towns called Rosenberg in Poland, Czech Republic and Germany. Rosenberg is also one of the numerous forms of the matronymics of a woman called Rosa or Rose, or it can also derive from a house sign depicting a rose (many Jewish families adopted their house sign as their surname, especially those coming from Frankfurt am Main, Germany).

Berg, the second component, of Rosenberg, literally "mountain" in German/Yiddish, is a common artificial name in Jewish surnames, that can be found as a prefix (Bergstein) or a suffix (Goldberg). The term Berg is found in many German and other place names. Jews lived since the 13th century in the former Duchy and Grand Duchy of Berg in Westphalia, from which they might have derived Berg as a family name. One family is known to have taken the name Berg as an acronym (a name created from the initial letters of a Hebrew phrase, and which refers to a relative, lineage or occupation) of Ben Reb Gershon ("son of Rabbi Gershon"). The ending "-er" is the German indicating "from" or "son of" (Rosenberg).

Distinguished bearers of the German Jewish family name Rosenberger include the 19th/20th century German banker, Julius Rosenberger and the 20th century German soccer coach, Simon Rosenberger.

Adolf Rosenberger (after 1943 known as Alan Arthur Robert) (1900-1967), automobile racing driver and businessman, born in Pforzheim, Germany. He enlisted in the German Army in 1917, during WW I, serving in the Air Force. After the end of the war, he was active as a technician, entrepreneur, and a racing driver affiliated with Mercedes-Benz brand.

In the 1920s, he embarked on a racing career as a private driver, maneuvering legendary automobiles like the Benz-Tropfenwagen, Mercedes-Benz SSK, and the Mercedes-Kompressor. By the age of 23, he had cemented his status as one of Europe's most accomplished racing drivers. His achievements included victories in events such as the Stuttgart Solitude Race, the Kassel Hercules Mountain Prize (which he clinched thrice between 1925 and 1927), and the challenging Klausen Race.

Rosenberger was friends with the German pioneering engineer Ferdinand Porsche. This connection culminated in his role as a co-founder in Porsche's newly established design office in Stuttgart that opened in December 1930, known as Dr. Ing. hc F. Porsche GmbH. Holding a substantial 10 percent ownership stake, Rosenberger’s influence within the company was palpable. His prior experiences with the mid-engined Benz teardrop car left a mark on the subsequent development of the Auto Union racing car, conceived under the same design principle. It is suggested that Rosenberger may have aspired to become the driver of Porsche Project No. 22, although the project's financial backing from Wanderer and the newly formed Auto Union materialized only after the Nazi government announced racing subsidies in March 1933.

Despite a lack of orders and Porsche's penchant for costly designs, Rosenberger ensured the fledgling design office's financial survival. He extended a substantial shareholder loan of 80,000 Reichsmarks and arranged additional loans through his Pforzheim relatives. In December 1932, he made the decision to step back from the management of the company. His official resignation as managing director occurred on January 30, 1933, attributed to unsatisfactory earnings.

The ascent of the Nazi regime had dire implications for Rosenberger. As a Jew, he encountered persecution, leading to his arrest on September 5, 1935, under allegations of "racial defilement." On September 23, he was swiftly transferred from the Pforzheim remand prison on Rohrstrasse to the Kislau concentration camp. He was released four days later, with conflicting accounts suggesting that his release may have been attributed to interventions by Ferdinand Porsche and his son Ferry. Nevertheless, Rosenberger later disputed this assertion.

Following his release, Rosenberger immigrated to France settling in Paris in 1935. Three years later he immigrated to the United States and settled in California, where he changed his name and in 1944 became an American citizen. In the aftermath of WW II, Rosenberger sought recompense for the removal of his company shares at their nominal value and the shareholder loan extended to Porsche. He demanded a severance payment of 200,000 marks, ultimately reaching a settlement of 50,000 marks along with the provision of a car. He died in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

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ROSENBERGER Origin of surname
ROSENBERGER

Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name.

This German Jewish family name literally means "from the rose mountain".

Literally "rose mountain" in German, Rosenberg and its Yiddish equivalent Roisenberg can be associated with towns called Rosenberg in Poland, Czech Republic and Germany. Rosenberg is also one of the numerous forms of the matronymics of a woman called Rosa or Rose, or it can also derive from a house sign depicting a rose (many Jewish families adopted their house sign as their surname, especially those coming from Frankfurt am Main, Germany).

Berg, the second component, of Rosenberg, literally "mountain" in German/Yiddish, is a common artificial name in Jewish surnames, that can be found as a prefix (Bergstein) or a suffix (Goldberg). The term Berg is found in many German and other place names. Jews lived since the 13th century in the former Duchy and Grand Duchy of Berg in Westphalia, from which they might have derived Berg as a family name. One family is known to have taken the name Berg as an acronym (a name created from the initial letters of a Hebrew phrase, and which refers to a relative, lineage or occupation) of Ben Reb Gershon ("son of Rabbi Gershon"). The ending "-er" is the German indicating "from" or "son of" (Rosenberg).

Distinguished bearers of the German Jewish family name Rosenberger include the 19th/20th century German banker, Julius Rosenberger and the 20th century German soccer coach, Simon Rosenberger.
Written by researchers of ANU Museum of the Jewish People
Adolf Rosenberger

Adolf Rosenberger (after 1943 known as Alan Arthur Robert) (1900-1967), automobile racing driver and businessman, born in Pforzheim, Germany. He enlisted in the German Army in 1917, during WW I, serving in the Air Force. After the end of the war, he was active as a technician, entrepreneur, and a racing driver affiliated with Mercedes-Benz brand.

In the 1920s, he embarked on a racing career as a private driver, maneuvering legendary automobiles like the Benz-Tropfenwagen, Mercedes-Benz SSK, and the Mercedes-Kompressor. By the age of 23, he had cemented his status as one of Europe's most accomplished racing drivers. His achievements included victories in events such as the Stuttgart Solitude Race, the Kassel Hercules Mountain Prize (which he clinched thrice between 1925 and 1927), and the challenging Klausen Race.

Rosenberger was friends with the German pioneering engineer Ferdinand Porsche. This connection culminated in his role as a co-founder in Porsche's newly established design office in Stuttgart that opened in December 1930, known as Dr. Ing. hc F. Porsche GmbH. Holding a substantial 10 percent ownership stake, Rosenberger’s influence within the company was palpable. His prior experiences with the mid-engined Benz teardrop car left a mark on the subsequent development of the Auto Union racing car, conceived under the same design principle. It is suggested that Rosenberger may have aspired to become the driver of Porsche Project No. 22, although the project's financial backing from Wanderer and the newly formed Auto Union materialized only after the Nazi government announced racing subsidies in March 1933.

Despite a lack of orders and Porsche's penchant for costly designs, Rosenberger ensured the fledgling design office's financial survival. He extended a substantial shareholder loan of 80,000 Reichsmarks and arranged additional loans through his Pforzheim relatives. In December 1932, he made the decision to step back from the management of the company. His official resignation as managing director occurred on January 30, 1933, attributed to unsatisfactory earnings.

The ascent of the Nazi regime had dire implications for Rosenberger. As a Jew, he encountered persecution, leading to his arrest on September 5, 1935, under allegations of "racial defilement." On September 23, he was swiftly transferred from the Pforzheim remand prison on Rohrstrasse to the Kislau concentration camp. He was released four days later, with conflicting accounts suggesting that his release may have been attributed to interventions by Ferdinand Porsche and his son Ferry. Nevertheless, Rosenberger later disputed this assertion.

Following his release, Rosenberger immigrated to France settling in Paris in 1935. Three years later he immigrated to the United States and settled in California, where he changed his name and in 1944 became an American citizen. In the aftermath of WW II, Rosenberger sought recompense for the removal of his company shares at their nominal value and the shareholder loan extended to Porsche. He demanded a severance payment of 200,000 marks, ultimately reaching a settlement of 50,000 marks along with the provision of a car. He died in Los Angeles, CA, USA.