 After having been editor of the "Deutsche Dichterhalle" in Leipzig, he founded in 1873 the "Neue Monatshefte für Dichtkunst und Kritik".In 1875 Blumenthal moved to Berlin, where he became theatrical critic of the "Berliner Tageblatt", holding this position until 1887, when he opened the Lessing Theater, of which he was director till 1898.From 1894 to 1895 he was also director of the Berliner Theater.