The move, criticised by some, was deemed necessary by the museum s foundation to prevent insolvency. Markus Stegmann, the museum director, announced that after deducting buyer s fees, the foundation would receive approximately 42.3 million Swiss francs ($46.9 million), securing the museum s future through the creation of an endowment.
Museum Langmatt said the sales were necessary to keep its doors open. Critics had said they violated industry guidelines on when a museum should sell off parts of its collection.