[1] The district capital was changed to Konstadt (Wołczyn), but was moved back to Kreuzburg on January 1, 1880.

The spelling of the name of the city and the district fluctuated between Creutzburg, Creuzburg and Kreuzburg.

During World War II, it was the location of the Oflag VIII-A and Stalag Luft 7 prisoner-of-war camps for Polish, British, French, Canadian, Australian, New Zealander, South African, Dutch and other Allied POWs,[3][4] and the Ilag VIII/Z camp for interned citizens of the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Red Army captured the district at the end of January 1945 and it was placed under Polish administration in March.

According to religion, the majority of the district population was Protestant, along with sizable minorities of Catholics and Jews.