Josef Rosenthal was a miner by profession, but was already entered in the address directories for the 1930s as an “Invalid”. Before the First World War and in the early 1920s, he had been the lead gymnast of the ATV Dorstfeld sports club. Josef Rosenthal was a member of the “Hacketäuer”, an association of reservists made up of former members of the 3rd Westphalian Infantry Regiment Freiherr von Sparr. He was married to Wilhelmine/Minna Rosenthal, née Rosenthal, but was probably already a widower in the 1930s. The couple had a son: Max Rosenthal (24.9.1899–29.4.1943). He lived until his deportation at Dorstfelder Hellweg 11.

Josef Rosenthal was deported on 30 July 1942 on Transport X/1 (No. 266) to Theresienstadt, where he was murdered on 19 April 1944.