 Within Prussian Silesia (Province of Silesia 1815–1919 and 1938–41, Province of Lower Silesia 1919–38 and 1941–45), Bernsdorf was part of Landkreis Hoyerswerda.Within the East German Bezirk Cottbus, it was part of Kreis Hoyerswerda.With German reunification in 1990, Bernsdorf became part of Saxony.