[3] It is named after Bebelhof, a working-class quarter built in the 1920s[4] and the urban park Viewegs Garten, established in the late 18th century.

Urban expansion caused the village of St. Leonhard to merge into the city during the 19th century, today making up the northeastern part of Viewegsgarten-Bebelhof.

Several factories, including Büssing, Voigtländer, Rollei, and the Wolters and Feldschlößchen breweries, were built around Viewegs Garten.

[5] In 1944, the KZ-Außenlager Schillstraße, a subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp, was established in the northern part of today's district.

The district mayor Frank Flake is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.