In 1818, Zirkow became part of the county of Landkreis Rügen, apart from a short spell from 1952 to 1955 when it was in the County of Putbus. It remained until 1990 in Kreis Rügen in the district of Rostock and became, in the same year, part of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. From 1990, the county was renamed Landkreis Rügen until 2011 when it became part of the new county of Vorpommern-Rügen.