Alice Kessler and Ellen Kessler, the legendary German twin entertainers who dazzled audiences across Europe and the US in the 1950s and 60s, have died at the age of 89 by joint assisted suicide. The German Society for Humane Dying (DGHS) confirmed the news on Tuesday, describing the decision as “well-considered, long-standing, and free from any psychiatric crisis.”
Local police told CNN that officers were dispatched to the twins’ leafy Munich suburb of Grünwald on Monday afternoon, though they declined to specify the reason for the callout.
According to DGHS, the Kessler twins reached out more than a year ago and officially became members of the organisation, which facilitates access to end-of-life legal and medical guidance.
“The decisive factor is likely to have been the desire to die together on a specific date,” spokesperson Wega Wetzel said, adding that the specific personal reasons were not shared with the organisation.
The twins had openly discussed their wish to leave the world side by side. In an interview with Corriere della Sera last year, they said, “The idea that one of us might get it first is very hard to bear. We want to go away together on the same day.” They also wished for their ashes to be interred together in the same urn alongside their mother, Elsa, and their beloved dog, Yello.
Assisted dying is legal in Germany in certain circumstances following a 2020 ruling by the country’s top court affirming an individual’s right to end their life and seek third-party help if the decision is free from outside influence.
With their signature coiffed blonde hair, long legs and impeccable stagecraft, Alice and Ellen Kessler defined the glamour of mid-century showbusiness. Trained in classical ballet as children, they fled East Germany in 1952 to pursue their artistic ambitions in the West. Their breakthrough came at the famed Lido cabaret in Paris, but they quickly moved beyond cabaret stages to international stardom.
They represented Germany at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest, appeared several times on The Ed Sullivan Show, graced the cover of Life magazine, and mingled with showbiz royalty such as Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Rock Hudson.
Following news of their deaths, The Ed Sullivan Show paid tribute, calling them “dazzling stars, true legends, and sisters whose grace, charm, and magic will shine forever.”
The twins achieved extraordinary fame in Italy, where they became the first showgirls to appear on national television, famously required to wear opaque tights due to the conservative cultural norms of the era. Their legs nevertheless gained iconic status, earning the nickname “the legs of the country.”
When they appeared nude in Playboy Italia in 1976, the issue sold out within three hours. Italian broadcaster RAI announced extensive programming to honour the sisters, including reruns of their classic shows and special news coverage.
Their careers endured long after the golden age of the variety show, including theatre performances in Berlin, Munich and Vienna as recently as 2015–2016.
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