Helm's habilitation was on the literature surrounding the Teutonic Order, published 1899 in Giessen.

After teaching in Giesen, Würzburg and Frankfurt, he received tenure in Marburg as professor for early Germanic philology (Altgermanistik) in 1921.

students of Helm include Karl Bischoff, Ernst Albrecht Ebbinghaus [de], Hans Kuhn, Nechama Leibowitz,[1][2] Eduard Neumann and Jost Trier.

In November 1933 Helm signed the Vow of allegiance of the Professors of the German Universities and High-Schools to Adolf Hitler and the National Socialistic State.

Helm retired from Marburg as professor emeritus in 1936, but continued hold lectures there until 1958.