Marianne Handschuh, was from the Rhineland and the daughter of Gustav Handschuh who was also involved with textiles in Brünn.

Rudolf her husband was 14 years older than Marianne who, unlike Rudolf, had a literary education and had undertaken part of her school studies in France.

Rudolf and Marianne Gödel had two children, both boys. The elder they named Rudolf after his father, and the younger was Kurt.