Part of the larger Regierungsbezirk Frankfurt, in 1873 the district was divided in two, Weststernberg (Drossen) and Oststernberg (Zielenzig) with Sternberg proper.
As part of the overall governance structure of Frankfurt, the district was split into two components in 1873: Weststernberg (Drossen) and Oststernberg (Zielenzig), with Sternberg itself forming a distinct unit.