The building was significantly damaged from an aerial bombing on 1 March 1943, but remained in operation until 1 September 1944 when the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda of the Nazi government closed all German theatres.

In 1955 Jacob staged Franz Werfel's drama Jacobowski und der Oberst and played a leading part himself.

[2][3] In 1967 he conducted the premiere of the opera Eli of Walter Steffens after the drama of Nelly Sachs, a commission of the city of Dortmund.

[6] In December 2008 the Thomanerchor and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, conducted by Thomaskantor Georg Christoph Biller, performed Bach's Christmas Oratorio.

[7] In November 2009 Ignat Solzhenitsyn conducted the Cantemus Chor and the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie in works of Mozart including his Great Mass in C minor.

[8] In June 2010 Cecilia Bartoli sang in concert the title role of Bellini's Norma for the first time, in the original mezzo-soprano range, with conductor Thomas Hengelbrock.