Paul Grimm (prehistorian)

Paul Grimm (18 August 1907 – 19 November 1993) was a German prehistorian and also a pioneer of Medieval archaeology, especially of the excavation of abandoned villages and castles. Grimm worked on various periods, but mainly in central Germany – the names of two important Neolithic archaeological cultures in the area, the Baalberge group and the Salzmünde group derive from him. His comprehensive excavations at Hohenrode [de] and Tilleda [de] were important milestones in the history of German archaeology.

Grimm was a leading member of the Völkisch movement in the 1920s and 30s and a member of the Nazi Party from 1933. He headed the State Agency for Prehistory and Protohistory in Nazi-occupied Ukraine during World War II. His involvement in the plundering of prehistoric artefacts from the Nazi-occupied territories in Eastern Europe at this time is a matter of controversy. After the war, he lived in East Germany, where he was a professor at Humboldt University of Berlin from 1955 until 1972.