A botanist, her PhD thesis "Monographie der Gattung Daphniphyllum" (Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Breslau, 1916) is often mis-attributed to Kaethe Hoffmann. Both are associated with Breslau University; however the Lebenslauf at the end of the thesis names her parents as "Dr. phil. Ferdinand Rosenthal und seiner Ehefrau Amalie geb. Kaufmann" and gives her date of birth as 25 June 1893; the same information is also found in her birth certificate. In the Lebenslauf Kaethe Rosenthal goes on to thank Kaethe Hoffmann, who was 10 years her senior, for her advice.

Dr. phil. Kaethe Emmy Rosenthal is listed in the 1939 census of Berlin at Nuernberger Strasse 66, one of more than sixty Jewish residents listed at this address.

Dr. Kaethe Rosenthal, Studentraetin, is listed in the Breslau synagogue community address list (ca 1930) at Schenkendorfstrasse 13 with the same birthday, but a year of birth of 1896 rather than 1893 which is given in her birth certificate and the 1939 census.

Kaethe was deported from Berlin to Riga on 05.09.1942 and murdered on arrival.