Rissen was first officially mentioned in 1255, being named "Risne". For centuries, Rissen was a part of the County of
Holstein-Pinneberg, which would have made it a part of the modern German state of
Schleswig-Holstein. In 1789, the local government bought a section of Rissen called
Klövensteen and let it become a large forest. Until now, this forest is still called
Staatsforst Klövensteen ("Klövensteen state forest"). In the 19th century, the locally well-known shipowner Johan Cesar V. Godeffroy purchased a significant portion of the area and dedicated it to become his personal hunting grounds. In 1927, Rissen became a part of the city of
Altona which was then a separate, independent city. In 1938, Altona was incorporated into the city of Hamburg by law through the enactment of the
Greater Hamburg Act. As a result, Rissen also became a part of Hamburg. == Geography ==