The world of entertainment has lost one of its most iconic duos. Alice and Ellen Kessler, the German twin sisters known collectively as the Kessler Twins, have died by assisted suicide at the age of 89. The pair, who performed with legends like Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire, ended their lives together on Monday at their home near Munich.
A Final Act Together
According to the German newspaper Bild, the sisters chose to die via medical aid, a legal practice in Germany. The publication reported that the twins ‘no longer wanted to live’ and had made the conscious decision to end their lives simultaneously. Police were informed after the procedure was completed. The authorities confirmed their deaths occurred in Grünwald, where the sisters lived in connecting flats separated by a sliding wall.
This final act underscores a profound and deeply personal choice. In Germany, while euthanasia remains illegal, the law permits medical assistance in dying, which allows patients to self-administer prescribed drugs to end their own lives.
A Life in the Spotlight
Born in Nerchau, Germany, in 1936, Alice and Ellen’s journey to stardom began early. They started ballet classes at just six years old and joined the prestigious Leipzig Opera’s child ballet program by age 11. In a dramatic turn in 1952, when the twins were 16, their family used a visitor’s visa to escape East Germany, eventually settling in Düsseldorf.
Their career quickly took off with performances at the Palladium in Düsseldorf and later at The Lido in Paris. Their big break on the international stage came in 1959 when they represented West Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in eighth place with their song ‘Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh’n’ (Tonight we want to go dancing).
The twins’ move to Italy in 1962 catapulted them to new heights of fame. They became regulars on the variety show Studio Uno and were famously nicknamed ‘the nation’s legs’. At the age of 40, they posed for the cover of the Italian edition of Playboy, with that issue becoming the fastest-selling in the magazine's history up to that point.
An Enduring Legacy
Their fame was not confined to Europe. The Kessler Twins became familiar faces in the United States, making appearances on popular television programmes like The Red Skelton Hour and The Ed Sullivan Show. Their filmography is equally impressive, featuring roles in movies such as The Count of Luxemburg, Erik the Conqueror, and Dead Woman from Beverly Hills.
In 1986, they returned to Germany, settling in Grünwald. While they lived a more private life in their later years, they shared one last wish with Bild last year. They requested that their ashes be buried in a single urn, alongside the ashes of their mother and their dog, Yello, a poignant final testament to their inseparable bond.
The passing of the Kessler Twins marks the end of an era for European entertainment, closing the final curtain on a remarkable shared life and career.
