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The following points explain the reasons for the plans to relocate the Gemäldegalerie and construct a new building, as well as for the creation of a "Gallery of the 20th Century" at the Kulturforum:

1. The 20th Century has so far had no suitable location in Berlin. The Nationalgalerie's high-calibre and famous collection has only been on display in excerpts for decades. Mies van der Rohe's building (Neue Nationalgalerie) has been too small for decades - with and without the Pietzsch Collection, which has been promised and only emphasises the lack of space. After the barbarism of the Nazis, which particularly affected the collection of the Nationalgalerie ("Degenerate Art" campaign), an excellent collection was built up. Dix, Grosz, Kirchner and many other works - this is what Berlin stands for today for friends of 20th century art worldwide. And nowhere else can the artistic positions of East and West during the Cold War be better understood than in the reunited National Gallery in Berlin. But all of this can only ever be seen temporarily and in extracts - to the great annoyance of many visitors.
2. The rooms of the Gemäldegalerie in the immediate vicinity are very well suited for the works of the 20th century. The effort involved in preparing the rooms for their new use is manageable, it is limited to technical details and no walls need to be moved.
3. The Museum Island remains unfinished without the Old Masters. They belong in the context of pre-modern European art and culture. The development of European art cannot be understood without painting. It has been the leading medium for many centuries.
4. The holdings of the Picture Gallery and the Sculpture Collection were collected simultaneously and in relation to each other. This Berlin model of Wilhelm von Bode, one of the most prominent museum directors of his time, had international appeal. It still characterises the collections today and the Bode Museum was built precisely for such a cross-genre presentation.
5. The current situation is unsatisfactory. The number of visitors to the Gemäldegalerie in no way reflects its status as one of the best collections of its kind in the world. The location at the Kulturforum with its modern ambience and the architecturally highly unfortunate entrance situation, especially for such a collection, are seriously damaging the public image of this collection. The number of visitors to the sculpture collection in the Bode Museum also leaves much to be desired - after its initial great success following its reopening. On the other hand, the exhibition "Faces of the Renaissance" has clearly demonstrated the success of a cross-genre presentation to the public. Both collections will benefit enormously from the reorganisation.
6. With major projects, not every step can be taken immediately and simultaneously. But the timetable for achieving the goal must be clear from the outset and the processes for reaching the milestones should be initiated.
7. For the SPK, it is an irrevocable prerequisite that the opening of the Gallery of the 20th Century can only take place once the course has been set for the construction of a new gallery building for the Old Masters to complement the Bode Museum and the results of a realisation competition for this building project are available.
8. Even during the transitional period, the Staatliche Museen will be able to offer an overview of the development of painting and sculpture. The Bode-Museum offers enough space to present almost half of the works currently on display on the main floor of the Gemäldegalerie. The Foundation is currently examining further - temporary - exhibition options for the works in the Picture Gallery to ensure that the largest parts of the collection remain accessible to the public as far as possible during the transition period.
9. Remodelling phases almost always result in temporary restrictions on the presentation of the collection. If this were to be ruled out from the outset, it would be impossible to realise any further development of the museum landscape. The SPK's plans for such a reorganisation are well thought out and have been known to both the public and the SPK's committees for years. The development of the site opposite the Bode Museum with a gallery building was already part of an urban planning ideas competition in 2005. The 10 million euros now approved by the federal government for the refurbishment of the Gemäldegalerie are also described by the federal government as a first step that will be followed by others.
10. The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation's mission is to present and communicate its holdings in the best possible way. It is with this in mind that it is profiling its museum locations: the Museum Island for the art and culture of Europe and the Middle East up to the 19th century, the Kulturforum as a place of modernism, the Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart for contemporary art. If everything had remained as it was in the past, there would be no Museum Island today. At the time, these were also major projects that were realised over many years and at great financial expense. Just how promising these investments were for the future can be seen from the tremendous public success to this day. The war, the division of the country and the city have also left their mark on the art collections. Reunification offers opportunities to reorganise the museum landscape. We must not stop halfway.