Originally, it comprised the entirety of the Altona borough with the exception of the quarters of Altona-Altstadt and the Ortsteil of Altona-Nord/Süd from Altona-Nord.

Since the 1980 election, it has been coterminous with the Altona borough, with a brief exception from 2009–2013 when the newly-created quarter of Sternschanze, administratively part of the Altona borough, remained within the Hamburg Mitte constituency; it was transferred to Hamburg-Altona in the 2013 election.

Its first representative was Hugo Scharnberg of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who served from 1949 to 1957.

The SPD's Karl-Wilhelm Berkhan won the constituency in 1957 and served until 1976, when he was succeeded by Horst Gobrecht.

The CDU held it for a single term in 1987 under representative Jürgen Echternach; it returned to the SPD's candidate Marliese Dobberthien in 1990.

Future Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz represented the constituency from 1998 to 2001, when he resigned to become Senator for the Interior of Hamburg.

Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.

Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.