Born in Jacobsdorf, Silesia, Grummann began his career in education and served as a primary school teacher in the Berlin area for many years.
His professional path took a turn when he started studying natural sciences at Friedrich-Wilhelm University, developing a fascination with botany, especially lichens.
After World War II, Grummann headed a department at the Reich Institute for Film and Picture in Science and Education and simultaneously taught at Berlin high schools.
[3] Following the end of World War II, in 1946 Grummann took on the role of department head at the Reich Institute for Film and Picture in Science and Education.
[2] Grummann also demonstrated a penchant for the meticulous organisation of records, as showcased by his magnum opus, the Biographisch-bibliographisches Handbuch der Lichenologie.
Starting about 1960, Grummann worked for years on this comprehensive biographical-bibliographical handbook of lichenologists worldwide, listing every person who had ever mentioned a lichen in a scientific publication.
Following Grummann's death in 1967, a colleague, Oscar Klement, completed the editing and published the book in 1974, thereby consolidating a wealth of hard-to-find information about lichen authors globally.
[5] Vitus Grummann maintained a strong tie to his native Silesia and showed a keen interest in the works of various Silesian artists.