The organization was committed to national prehistory and early history research and to providing a broad basis for German Archeology as a discipline with a historical goal.
In 1913, at a special general meeting, the change of name to Gesellschaft für Deutschen Vorgeschichte (GDV) was approved by a large majority.
In 1933, in the course of Gleichschaltung, the board decided to "expand" itself to the Reichsbund für Deutsche Vorgeschichte at the request of Hans Reinerth.
In 1968, the society was re-founded as the Gesellschaft für Vor- und Frühgeschichte (Bonn) by Bolko von Richthofen.
The members, who are mainly associated with right to far-right extremist views, included, among others the "Atlantis Researchers" Jürgen Spanuth, Herman Wirth, and Haye W. Hansen.