background / medical history / prehistory
Loading your saved state.
background
The totality of events, circumstances, and developments that preceded a specific event and led to it; the background.
Um den Konflikt zu verstehen, muss man seine lange Vorgeschichte kennen.
To understand the conflict, you need to know its long background.
The word is simply built from 'vor-' (before) and 'Geschichte' (history/story). So it literally describes the events that happened before a main story or main event.
Jeder gute Film hat eine interessante Vorgeschichte.
Every good film has an interesting background story.
The context makes it clear which meaning is intended. Medical terms like 'Arzt' (doctor) or 'Patient' (patient) point to medical history. Historical terms like 'Museum' (museum) or 'Steinzeit' (Stone Age) point to the era. In all other cases, it usually means the background of an event.
Die politische Krise hat eine komplizierte Vorgeschichte. (Hintergrund)
The political crisis has a complicated background. (background)
In the general meaning, 'Vorgeschichte' (background) is often combined with adjectives like 'lang' (long), 'kurz' (short), 'kompliziert' (complicated), or 'unbekannt' (unknown). People also speak of the 'Vorgeschichte eines Konflikts' (background of a conflict) or 'einer Beziehung' (of a relationship).
Ihre Freundschaft hat eine lange Vorgeschichte.
Their friendship has a long background.
When you are at the doctor's and are asked about your 'Vorgeschichte' (medical history), the doctor means your medical history. Typical questions are: 'Gibt es in Ihrer Vorgeschichte ernste Erkrankungen?' (Are there any serious illnesses in your medical history?)
Bitte füllen Sie diesen Bogen zu Ihrer medizinischen Vorgeschichte aus.
Please fill out this form about your medical history.
story / history
'die Geschichte' and 'die Vorgeschichte' both have to do with events that can be told or studied. 'die Geschichte' can be a story, refer to the past in general, or colloquially describe a matter. 'die Vorgeschichte' means the events before something: it explains how a particular situation came about. The words can be confused because both talk about things in the past. The difference is: 'Geschichte' is the story or the past itself; 'Vorgeschichte' is the background before the actual event.
Vor dem Unfall gab es eine lange Vorgeschichte mit vielen Warnzeichen.
Before the accident, there was a long background with many warning signs.
In der Schule schreibt ihr heute eine Geschichte über eine Reise.
At school today, you are writing a story about a trip.