During World War II, the building was badly damaged during the air raid on Leipzig on 4 December 1943, and the roof structure burnt to the ground. The concrete ceiling supported by iron, which was installed during renovation work in the early twentieth century, prevented flames from spreading from the roof structure to the historic rooms on the first floor. Most of the museum's contents have already been moved before and were preserved. The reconstruction took place from 1946 until 1950 and was one of the first of a public building in Leipzig. After small exhibitions from 1945, the city's history museum and thus the old town hall reopened in 1952.
