Emil Doernenburg was born in Langenberg, Westphalia, in 1880. He studied in Berlin and Bonn, in the fields of German language and literature, and English language and literature. He emigrated to the United States in 1903. Around the same time, either just before or after his emigration, Doernenburg married Elfriede König, who was also born in Germany. The couple had two daughters, Elsie and Isolde. Emil Doernenburg was naturalized as an American citizen in 1908.
After his arrival in the United States he pursued further studies in German literature, completing his Master’s in 1908, at Northwestern University, and his Ph.D. in 1919, at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1911 Doernenburg was appointed assistant professor of German at Ohio University, where he remained until 1917, advancing to the rank of professor. In 1918 he was forced to resign when German was dropped from the curriculum due to the anti-German feelings of the times. After leaving Ohio he and his family lived for a short time in Washington, D.C. In 1919 they moved to Philadelphia, where Emil Doernenburg assumed a position as professor of German at the University of Pennsylvania. He remained there until 1930, and then taught at La Salle College (today known as La Salle University), from 1931 to 1933. Aside from his academic work Doernenburg was also a published poet, writing in German.
Doernenburg joined the German Society of Pennsylvania in either 1919 or 1920. In 1920-1921 he served on the Library Committee; and in 1923-1924 he served as the chair of the Archive Committee. Emil Doernenburg died in Philadelphia in 1935.