(1929) In 1931, he founded the
Porsche GmbH together with
Ferdinand Porsche and Dr.
Anton Piëch. With Rosenberger's financial backing, Ferdinand Porsche and Anton Piëch started the company with some former co-workers including chief designer Karl Rabe. Rosenberger was also instrumental in the creation of the Auto Union concern, being credited with influencing Porsche's choice of a mid-engined design for the Auto Union racing cars. Despite Rosenberger's contribution to the development of German automobiles and German auto racing, when Hitler came to power in Germany, Rosenberger, a Jew, was arrested for
Rassenschande (“racial crimes”), and imprisoned at the concentration camp
Schloss Kislau near Karlsruhe. He was released by the goodwill of a colleague, Hans Baron Veyder Mahlberg, who bribed Gestapo agents, but he was forced to leave Germany immediately. He emigrated to France and later to Great Britain, representing Porsche GmbH in both of those countries. He immigrated to the United States in 1939, and in 1944, he became a US citizen under the name of
Alan Arthur Robert. He moved to California, where he was active in motorsports and the automobile business. He died in Los Angeles, California, in 1967. == Legacy ==