Adolf III, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein had brought settlers from Westphalia to colonise the island.

In 1246 Grimm was absorbed by the city of Hamburg, and together with Cremon formed the parish of the newly built St. Catherine's Church.

Grimm was untouched by the Hamburg fire of 1842 and was one of the few areas of the old city to retain its historic structure in the 20th Century.

These were mainly four-storey and three-to five-axis Hamburg merchant's houses from the Baroque, with typical facades, portals and rich pre-built Ausluchten.

The painted ceiling of Grimm 31 has been preserved in the Museum of Hamburg History since its opening in 1922.