In 1835 the great composer Felix Mendelssohn became the orchestra's main conductor (music director). He was called the "Gewandhauskapellmeister". He kept this position, apart from one year, until his death in 1847. In 1885, the orchestra moved into a new hall which was given the same name. This was destroyed by bombing in World War II in 1944. The present Gewandhaus is the third building with the name. It was opened in 1981.