The Gallery of German Friends is part of the Herta and Paul Amir Building, which opened on October 31, 2011 with paintings and sculptures by the German artist Anselm Kiefer. As an architecturally high-quality exhibition venue, the Friends of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art felt it was predestined for the establishment of their gallery.

The opening exhibition of the Gallery of German Friends featured an impressive collection of German Expressionist prints, some of which came from the Jewish Museum in Berlin. The first director of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Dr. Karl Schwarz, opened the Jewish Museum Berlin shortly before the National Socialists seized power. In June 1933, Dr. Schwarz emigrated to Tel Aviv with a large part of the outstanding art collection and, at the request of the then mayor of Tel Aviv, Meir Dizengoff, set up the art museum he had founded. Works by famous artists such as George Grosz, Otto Dix, Max Beckmann and Emil Nolde were on display at the opening. The museum also owns 150 prints by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, making it one of the world's largest Munch collections.

​

The association contributed financially to the construction of the new building and financed the entire cost of the gallery from donations. The Gallery of German Friends sees itself as an interface between Israel and Germany on a museum level. By initiating collaborations with German museums and collections, the association stimulates cultural exchange and provides a representative platform for German art, which is currently experiencing great interest in Israel.