Over 80 drawings and paintings representing the Neue Sachlichkeit or "New Objectivity" movement were featured in the exhibition. Neue Sachlichkeit refers to the new sobriety reflecting the general mood and aftermath of World War I. In art, it is frequently characterized by a satirical social realism. The cruelty and senselessness of the war are recurring themes along with desperation, exploitation, and death. In their attempt to present reality, Neue Sachlichkeit painters revived such nineteenth-century painting genres as the landscape, townscape and portrait.
The collection is comprised of works by such artists as Otto Dix, George Grosz and Ludwig Meidner, one of the first artists rediscovered by the Fishmans. Other artists working in Germany following World War I whose works are included are Albert Birkle, Josef Scharl, Rudolf Fuhrmann, Karl Hubbuch and Bruno Voigt.