FAMILY SHEET WILLY ROSENSTEIN

OF STUTTGART + SOUTH AFRICA

compiled by Rolf Hofmann (HarburgProject@aol.com) VERSION 02

WILLY ROSENSTEIN

famous pilot of World War I, living in Stuttgart until 1936 (A) (D)

(his home in 1936 = Eduard Pfeiffer Strasse 178)

born 28 Jan 1892 Wiesbaden, died 1945 in Rostenberg, South Africa

parents = Ernst Rosenstein senior + wife Pauline nee Zimmern (B)

married (1) 4 May 1921 in Stuttgart (home = Kerner Strasse 38)

HEDWIG ROTHSCHILD

born 1 Dec 1892 Stuttgart, died 8 Jun 1926 Stuttgart

parents = Samuel Rothschild + wife Ida nee Levi (C)

married (2) 20 Dec 1934 in Stuttgart

PAULA LEVI (divorced Blum)

born 5 Apr 1904 Stuttgart - died ? in South Africa ?

parents = Julius Levi + wife Julie nee Steiner (F)

Paula obviously left Willy Rosenstein, so far unknown when and where ?

ONE CHILD OUT OF FIRST MARRIAGE (born in Stuttgart):

(01) ERNST (junior) 20 Feb 1923 - 1945

pilot of British Royal Air Force,

was shot down over the Mediterranean Sea

in combat action during World War II

(A) Willy Rosenstein was born in Wiesbaden for unknown reason, because his parents must have lived in Stuttgart by then, where Willy Rosenstein spent his childhood. He started his vocational education in 1912 by earning his pilot's license at the famous flying school at Johannesthal. He then was employed as pilot instructor for the Rumpler aircraft manufacturer. In 1913 he switched to the waggon manufacturing company in Gotha (Thuringa) and encouraged this company to start with manufacturing aircrafts. Willy Rosenstein served this company as designer and test pilot.

In January 1915 he started his war pilot career as a reconnaissance pilot in World War I. In April 1916 he was severely injured during an enemy attack near Verdun (France), but managed to recover soon. He received the Iron Cross 1st Class. He then continued as combat pilot for the Army Fokker Squadron, later for Hermann Goering's Hunter Squadron 27 in Flandern (Feb-Dec 1917).

After a dispute with Goering, Rosenstein was transfered to Lieutenant Degelow's Hunter Squadron 40, under whose command he flourished. Rosenstein was successful in shooting down altogether eight enemy air crafts and so became a highly decorated war hero. When Hitler came to power in 1933 Rosenstein was no longer allowed to fly and finally managed to escape to South Africa, strangely enough with the help of his former squadron commander Hermann Goering, who had in the meantime become a top member of the Hitler regime. Rosenstein was even allowed to take three air planes with him + spare parts, a privilege which in these days was not granted to other Jews, and which allowed him to found a flight school in South Africa. Willy Rosenstein was killed in 1949 in a flying accident.

(B) Ernst Rosenstein senior (18 Oct 1860 - 4 Feb 1907) lived in Stuttgart since ca 1890. He was a partner of "LW Rosenstein Company" in Stuttgart(= Louis Wilhelm Rosenstein). His widow Pauline then married lawyer Dr Karl Noerdlinger (23 Mar 1867 - 15 Mar 1931) in Stuttgart (at first the couple lived at Schloss Strasse 12, their final home was Eduard Pfeiffer Strasse 178). Pauline (4 Nov 1867 - 19 Nov 1926) also died in Stuttgart (born probably elsewhere). Karl Noerdlingers parents were Salomon Noerdlinger + Amalie nee Engel.

(C) Ida Levi was a sister of leather merchant Max Levi, who founded Salamander Shoe Factory together with the master shoemaker Jakob Sigle.

(D) Willy Rosenstein had a sister Olga, who married (ca 1923 or before)Dr Robert Kauffmann. Their home in 1926 = Hardenberg Strasse 10 in Berlin -Charlottenburg. They still lived there in 1931.

(E) Louis Rosenstein (25 Apr 1832 - 5 Aug 1900) had an export business in Stuttgart (Schloss Strasse 12) and served as Consul for the Kingdom of Serbia. His wife was Louise nee Rosenthal (6 Mar 1837 - 2 Dec 1902). These were the parents of Ernst Rosenstein senior (see B). Louis Rosenstein started his business in Stuttgart as a fruit dealer around 1857, then switched to malt manufacturing around 1860 and finally hopdealing. He bought house Schloss Strasse 12 before 1882.

(F) Julius Levi (20 Sep 1853 - 19 Aug 1924) was a cofounder of "Gebrueder Levi Import" (Levi Brothers Import Company) founded around 1873 in Stuttgart. He died in Stuttgart. His wife Julie nee Steiner survived him and probably left Germany in the thirties.