The Kessler twins, a German entertainment duo who managed to achieve international stardom after World War II, chose to end their lives together by assisted suicide on Monday. The were 89 years-old.
Kessler Twins Die By Assisted Suicide
Alice and Ellen Kessler died at their home in Munich, Germany on November 17 after choosing medical aid in dying. This was first reported by the German newspaper Bild, which stated that the twins “no longer wanted to live” and “had chosen to end their lives together.” Police were only called when the death process was completed for both women.
According to the British organization Dignity in Dying, medical aid in passing away has been legal in Germany since 2019. This is different from euthanasia, which is still illegal in Germany. People Magazine reported that the difference is that “the patients themselves administer prescribed drugs to end their lives, rather than a doctor.”
The twins reportedly contacted the advocacy organization the German Society for Humane Dying, which provides access to lawyers and doctors, over a year ago, and quickly became members.
“The decisive factor is likely to have been the desire to die together on a specific date,” DGHS spokesperson Wega Wetzel told CNN. She added that she wasn’t aware of the exact reason that the twins decided to die together.
“Their desire to die was well-considered, long-standing, and free from any psychiatric crisis,” Wetzel concluded.
Kessler Twins ‘Left Together’
Alice and Ellen had told reporters last year that after their deaths, they wanted their ashes to be buried in the same urn. The twins will now be buried alongside their mother Elsa and their dog Yello.
Radio Monte Carlo took to Instagram to post a touching tribute to the twins after their deaths.
“Alice and Ellen Kessler left together, just as they lived: inseparable,” the statement read. “Born in 1936, they were an absolute symbol of European spectacle, including music, dance and television. In Italy, they became celebrities as the ‘legs of the nation,’ icon of elegance and stage presence since the Fifties.”
“A unique artistic couple, capable of leaving an indelible imprint on the collective imagination,” Radio Monte Carlo added.
Kessler Twins’ History
Born in 1936, Alice and Ellen learned to dance early on, soon joining the Leipzig Opera children’s ballet. Their family fled to West Germany in 1952, when the twins were 16 years-old. Alice and Ellen were discovered by the director of the Lido cabaret theater in Paris, France in 1955, and their careers quickly took off.
By the 1960s, the twins were touring internationally, performing with the likes of Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, and Harry Belafonte. They even reportedly turned down an offer to appear with Elvis Presley in the 1964 classic movie Viva Las Vegas. Though this was the opportunity of a lifetime, the twins didn’t want to be defined by American musical films, so they declined.
The twins continued performing all of their lives, even still doing so in their 80s. The often said that they would not have been able to perform for so long if they were alone. Just after they turned 80, Alice told The Associated Press that being a duo “only has advantages,” adding that “together you’re stronger.”
When asked about the secret to their success, Alice replied, “Discipline, every day. Gratitude, time and again. Humility, not cockiness. And togetherness. Until death.”
Rest in peace, Alice and Ellen Kessler.