As a supplement to the existing public institutions for the care of the poor, the siblings Elisabeth and Philipp Zimmermann each contributed 1,000 guilders in 1852 to found the "Care House for the Elderly", which initially consisted of just one rented room.

Donations from Wiesbaden citizens soon made it possible to move into an apartment in Adlerstraße, where four old women found accommodation. When the city of Wiesbaden also became involved in 1856, the "Zimmermann'sche Stiftung" foundation was able to erect its own building in Dotzheimer Straße at the level of Zimmermannstraße, which was named after the founders of the foundation, initially providing accommodation for 24 people and, after an extension (1869), for 40 men and women.

The growth of the town led to such an increase in the value of the property that its sale made it possible to build a new home for 80 residents, now called "Pfründner". This home, built by architect Alfred Schellenberg and opened in 1893, was located at Schiersteiner Straße 38.

Men and women who had to be at least fifty years old were admitted to the home; as there was no staff to look after them apart from the caretaker and his wife, the women took care of the kitchen and laundry while the men had to tend to the fruit and vegetables in the large garden. This occupational therapy and strict house rules were also intended to ensure discipline, as many of the home's residents were considered to be "bad elements" who had brought their situation on themselves through "disorderly living". The head of the home, known as the "inspector", and his wife were therefore instructed to exercise "unavoidable severity". Due to the shortage of nursing staff, sick people were transferred to the municipal hospital.

Thanks to further donations from the citizens of Wiesbaden and the commitment of the city, the Zimmermann Foundation was able to accumulate considerable assets. The bookseller Christian Wilhelm Kreidel, whose estate in Walkmühlstraße gave rise to the "Kreidel Foundation", deserves special mention as a donor.

According to the will of the testator, the newly built home was intended to accommodate "educated but less well-off old people". The "Karoline-Sabine-Stift", which came from the legacy of Rudolf Julius Mathias Ganzenmüller, was also intended for educated people and was located in Stiftstraße.

A significant donation also came from Theodore von Knoop, who financed the "Theodorenhaus" in Eppenhain in memory of her deceased son. It served as a summer retreat for poor seamstresses. All of these facilities were integrated into the Zimmermann Foundation.

In 1914, the value of the Zimmermannstiftung buildings and their furnishings was estimated at 340,000 marks, with papers worth 184,000 marks added to this. The voluntary Board of Directors managed to steer the assets through the war and post-war period largely unscathed.

Immediately after coming to power, the National Socialists "equalized" the Board of Directors, introduced the Führer principle and removed people they did not like from the administration. Later, Jews were no longer allowed to be admitted to the homes.

The new administrative board installed immediately after the war found only remnants of the former assets. The home in Walkmühlstraße was almost completely bombed out. The "Theodorenhaus" had been sold and the proceeds, as well as the former cash and securities assets, had been invested in war bonds and Reich Treasury notes that had now become worthless.

In 1972, the city of Wiesbaden took over the three houses, whose value at the time was estimated at more than DM 3 million, in order to continue them in the spirit of the founders. As part of the social housing program, apartments were built in 1979 on the site of the former garden adjoining the Schiersteiner Straße house in Wolfram-von-Eschenbach-Straße, which are rented out to older people on a social basis.

In 1986, the building erected by Alfred Schellenberg in 1893 was demolished and an extension was built. The Zimmermannstift residential complex, which belongs to the Gemeinnützige Wohnungsgesellschaft der Stadt Wiesbaden, now comprises 123 apartments. The Kreidelstiftung building was rebuilt soon after the end of the war, but was later sold. The building at Stiftstraße 11 now belongs to the city-owned "WIM Liegenschaftsfonds". The apartments are allocated according to the rent index.