Kurt Weill and Lion Feuchtwanger both lived in Berlin during the 1920s, experiencing together the rich cultural scene of Weimar Germany. Although they shared some of the same friends-including Bertolt Brecht-they apparently did not socialize. However, they collaborated on two plays during this time, including Feuchtwanger's play "Die Petroleuminseln" ("The Oil Islands").Weill composed the song "Das Lied von den braunen Inseln" ("Song of the Brown Islands") in 1927 for this play.In 1928 Weill collaborated together with Brecht and Feuchtwanger on their play "Das Leben Eduards des Zweiten von England." Weill wrote the incidental music for this adaption of Christopher Marlowe's "Edward the Second." Unfortunately, only a fragment of the original music survives. The play premiered in Leipzig in March 1928.
Kurt Weill and Lion Feuchtwanger had little contact while both lived in the United States. Weill settled in New York with its vibrant theater world, while Feuchtwanger crossed the continent to live in the warmth and sunshine of Southern California. When Weill travelled in the 1940s to Hollywood to work on film scores, he occasionally met his friend Bertolt Brecht, who lived in neighboring Santa Monica. However, there is no mention of similar meetings with Lion Feuchtwanger during these visits.