This article traces the self-presentation of the German Society for the History of Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Technology (DGGMNT) between 1926 and 1951. From its early days on the DGGMNT sought to historicize itself. Ceremonies commemorating the foundation of the society or anniversaries of its longtime chairman Karl Sudhoff offered occasions to address the history of the DGGMNT. The heroic story of the society’s foundation in 1901 – a story very often told by Sudhoff and his fellow founders – was meant to confer legitimation and identity on the DGGMNT. Strengthening the society’s master narrative went hand in hand with appeals to uphold the achievements of the founders and to maintain their heritage, especially during times of upheaval and change. The ritual-like recourse of history served primarily as a tool for self-affirmation – and not for critical self-reflection. This was all the more the case in the years after 1945 when memory culture was an important pillar of the reconstitution of the DGGMNT. Self-criticism concerning the part the society played during National Socialism was rare in the immediate afterwar period.