Leipzig would be reabsorbed into Saxony after the reunification of Germany.

The administrative seat and the main town was Leipzig.

The district was established, with the other 13, on 25 July 1952, substituting the old German states.

After 3 October 1990 it was disestablished following German reunification, becoming again part of the state of Saxony except kreise of Altenburg and Schmölln, became part of Thuringia.

The Bezirk Leipzig, correspondent to the area of the actual Direktionsbezirk Leipzig, bordered with the Bezirke of Halle, Cottbus, Dresden, Karl-Marx-Stadt and Gera.