Historically the area of the district was part of the "Vogtland", named after the title "Vogt" given to the local rulers in the 13th century. Only two lines of the "Reuß" family survived from that time, with one principality based in Greiz, and the other in Gera and Schleiz. In 1919 both were merged into the "Volksstaat Reuß" (People's State of Reuss), which then became part of Thuringia in 1920.