The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Neue Galerie in New York have announced a historic merger set for 2028. The Met will acquire the Neue Galerie's Beaux-Arts mansion, renaming it the Met Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie (or Met Neue Galerie), while preserving its museum experience. The merger comes ahead of the Neue Galerie's 25th anniversary and its renovations from May to August 2026. Founder Ronald S. Lauder will remain involved, and the Met will supplement the Neue Galerie's programs, research, and digital initiatives. Major fundraising is underway, with the endowment target of $200 million already 80 percent met, supported by Lauder, his daughter Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer, and trustee Marina Kellen French.
This merger matters because it creates an unprecedented institutional union between two major New York museums, significantly boosting the Met's holdings of 20th-century German and Austrian art—one of the finest collections outside Europe. The deal ensures the Neue Galerie's legacy in perpetuity while expanding its audience through the Met's resources. The donation of 13 artworks from Lauder and Zinterhofer's personal collection, including masterpieces by Gustav Klimt, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and Max Beckmann, further enriches the Met's collection. The merger also reflects a strategic model inspired by the Met's Cloisters satellite, potentially setting a precedent for future museum collaborations.