Protestant reformator Martin Luther grew up in Mansfeld, and in 1993 the town became one of sixteen places in Germany to be designated a Lutherstadt for this reason.

It is situated east of the Harz mountain range on the river Wipper, a left tributary of the Saale, about 35 km (22 mi) northwest of Halle.

The township currently comprises 15 districts (Ortschaften):[3] The former municipalities Annarode, Biesenrode, Gorenzen, Großörner, Möllendorf, Piskaborn, Siebigerode and Vatterode were merged into Mansfeld in 2005,[4] Abberode, Braunschwende, Friesdorf, Hermerode, Molmerswende and Ritzgerode in 2009.

[5] The House of Mansfeld, whose members belonged to the Saxon nobility and served as counts in the Hassegau, was first documented in a 973 deed.

The town retained the status of an independent city (Immediatstadt), it was temporarily part of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Westphalia and after the 1815 Congress of Vienna belonged to the Prussian Province of Saxony.