Alice and Ellen Kessler, the iconic German twin sisters who captivated audiences across Europe and beyond in the 1950s and 1960s, have died together through assisted suicide at the age of 89.According to the German Society for Humane Dying, the sisters had been members of the organization for over a year and had carefully considered the decision.
“People who choose this option in Germany must be absolutely clear-headed,” the group said, adding that the Kesslers’ choice was deliberate and consistent over time.Born on August 20, 1936, in Nazi Germany, the twins trained as ballet dancers before their family fled East Germany for the West in the early 1950s. Their remarkable stage presence and synchronized performances soon gained national attention, launching them into international fame as “The Kessler Twins.”
They became householdnames across Germany and Italy and later won over American audiences. The duo debuted on U.S. television in 1963 on The Red Skelton Hour and appeared on the cover of Life magazine the same month as “Sensations from Germany: Kessler Twins.”
They also performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, where they were remembered as “dazzling stars and true legends.”In the 1960s, the sisters moved to Italy, where they featured on the cover of Playboy Italia and appeared in several European films, including a brief role in the Hollywood epic Sodom and Gomorrah.
They later returned to Germany in the 1980s, settling near Munich.Though they never married, their lifelong partnership on stage and in life earned them numerous honors, including Germany’s Federal Cross of Merit in 1987.
Both nations continue to celebrate their contributions to postwar entertainment and the enduring elegance they brought to the stage.
