Until 1896 Gutbier was a teacher at the former citizen school and later at the school for young ladies. He lived in the house at Neustädterstrasse 13. After his retirement he was appointed a city-archivist. In his youth he explored his home and accumulated a lot of material about it.

He collected an abundance of geological and literary troves in his long years of work. Gutbier had already become known for that, already before he was active for the city-archive. A special document represents his chronicle of houses in 17 volumes. Because of that, Hermann Gutbier supplied an important contribution to the city history. The credits of the city archivist Gutbier received recognition through honors and distinctions. In 1908 he was appointed a member of the academy of sciences for the common good in Erfurt. In 1912 he became  an honorary citizen of the city of Langensalza.