Situated between the White Elster and Pleiße rivers, it nestles in the Leipzig Bay and includes parts of the conservation area Elsteraue and Central Germany's Street of Lignite.

Prehistoric colonization in the area of Zwenkau was affirmed by archaeological finds dated around 6000 BC.

[...] In 1929 the towns Imnitz and Kotzschbar which immediately connected to the south of Zwenkau's urban area were amalgamated.

In the first half of the 20th century Zwenkau developed quickly due to the lignite mining industry and dependent business.

Since then the population increased mainly as a result of amalgamation of nearby rural towns and hamlets.