The programmatic focus of the Westfluegel Leipzig is on contemporary international puppet and object theatre. In this field our theatre functions as a co-production partner and venue for guest performances. The programming is oriented towards various aspects, such as international exchange, the promotion of young talent as well as joint research and further development of the genre. The organisation of the theatre is based on a low-hierarchy approach and an interdependance of organisational and artistic fields of work. The artistic direction is carried out by the team.

Since 2011, the Westfluegel has been institutionally funded by the City of Leipzig. In 2012, the (culture) bar froelich & herrlich opened on the ground floor of the Westfluegel. It is named after the owners of the stovepipe factory that was located here from 1939-1975 and is open on Fridays and during theatre performances. A dedicated circle of volunteers supports the Westfluegel team in the performance and bar operations. The 2015 Federal Theatre Prize awarded to the Westfluegel Leipzig is a distinction for the quality of its artistic programme and its function as a „think tank“ for contemporary puppet theatre in Germany. Since 2020, the Westfluegel Leipzig has been part of the „Alliance of International Production Centres for Puppet Theatre“, in which three of the largest houses for freelance produced puppet and object theatre in Germany have joined forces: FITZ Theatre of Animated Forms Stuttgart, Schaubude Berlin and Westfluegel Leipzig.

This hall was designed together with the conversion of the previous Gesellschaftshaus as the first major commission of the Leipzig architect Emil Franz Hänsel (who also designed Kaufhaus Brühl, Zentralmessepalast, Specks Hof). The opening took place on September 23, 1900.
After several changes of ownership and a division of the complex in 1939, the small hall was sold to the neighbouring factory owner Bernhard Frölich. He made various additions to the magnificent Art Nouveau building and converted the ballroom into a storage building, and from 1943 into a production facility for stovepipes. The factory, which was classified as essential to the war effort, survived the Second World War, ceased production in 1975 and stood empty since then.

In 2003, an initiative led by the ensemble Figurentheater Wilde & Vogel in cooperation with the Schaubühne Lindenfels Leipzig began to put the building, which had been empty for more than 20 years, back to cultural use. By removing all subsequent fixtures and fittings, the building was restored, almost to its original state. Today, the Westfluegel once again has two halls. The lower hall is 4.60 metres high, the upper hall, which formerly served as a dance hall, is 8.20 metres high. The historic entrance has been restored, and the foyer and an art nouveau staircase with vaulted ceilings are accessed via the art nouveau vestibule. A two-winged iron gate, which originates from a former brewery, closes off the vestibule from the street.

The so-called Ballhaus Nights (October 2003, May and October 2004) and the Ballhaus Prologues (April, May, September 2005) were the first events in the not yet properly re-opened venue. In 2005, the property was acquired by the newly founded non-profit association Lindenfels Westfluegel e. V. In 2006 and 2007, the first two summer programmes with international figure theatre and dance theatre as well as exhibitions and concerts took place from May to October. Since then, the Westfluegel Leipzig has attracted and continues to attract many internationally successful artists and ensembles. The first heating system to be permanently installed in the Westfluegel was put into operation with the “Ofenweihe” (dedication of the stove) on October 18, 2014. The two wood-burning stoves, pipes and the entire system were procured and installed thanks to donations – by the company Firetube and other supporters – and a successful crowdfunding campaign.