This article aims to reveal an underlying pattern in the theory of history in the 20th century: the loss and revival of historical experience. While the dominant approach of the 19th century was characterized by historical perspectives, in the 20th century practical orientation was more often characterized by ahistorical approaches. This shift can be traced to the crisis of historicism and its crisis of the relevance of history for the present. The crisis gave rise to various ahistorical perspectives on society and values. But the experiences of the 20th century and the loss of experience also motivated some historians to develop new perspectives that could regain historical experience for practical orientation. This is illustrated with examples from three directions in historical research: Reinhart Koselleck, Hans-Ulrich Wehler's Gesellschaftsgeschichte and a concept of listening to the voices of the past in memory studies. A central trajectory for the theory of history in the 20th century can thus be formulated in terms of historical experience lost and regained.