The Neue Galerie New York opened in November 2001, showcasing its collection of Austrian and German art from 1890 to 1940.This publication is issued in celebration of the museum's twentieth anniversary.

The Austrian holdings encompass significant paintings by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Carl Moll, and Richard Gerstl. Decorative arts made by the Vienna Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops, 1903- 32) are another area of strength, in particular the designs of Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, and Dagobert Peche. The German holdings emphasize the Expressionist movement, with canvases by members of the Brücke, including Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Max Pechstein, and Karl Schmidt- Rottluff. Artists affiliated with the Blaue Reiter (Blue Rider), such as Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, August Macke, Franz Marc, and Gabriele Münter, figure prominently. The Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) movement is well represented by Max Beckmann, Otto Dix, George Grosz, and Christian Schad. Works by proponents of Dada, such as John Heartfield, Hannah Höch, and Kurt Schwitters, are a key interest.

Iconic creations from the Bauhaus, including objects by Marcel Breuer, Marianne Brandt, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Wilhelm Wagenfeld, as well as art by Lyonel Feininger, László Moholy-Nagy, and Oskar Schlemmer, are special highlights.