ABSTRACT
Introduction When viewed from a distance and in hindsight, the historical events resulting in the development of the public image and the prevention concepts of the Deutsche AIDS Hilfe (DAH), the National German AIDS Organisation, seem straightforward and inevitable. However, anyone with experience in social movements would surmise that the development of the DAH was anything but predictable. Retrospective views from the inside of an organisation are often prone to a lack of differentiation between the important and the unimportant. For this reason I want to confine myself to a few remarks which seem significant concerning the history and the development of our concept, focusing on what may make us unique as compared to similar organisations in other countries. I have also concentrated on prevention for gay men, which has been the focus of my work in the national office. If through this chapter myths and legends concerning the Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe are dispelled, I will have fulfilled one of my intentions.
