The Kessler twins, who were best known for performing throughout the 1950s and 1960s, have died by joint assisted suicide.
Alice and Ellen Kessler died at age 89 at their home near Munich, Germany on Monday.
The sisters “no longer wanted to live” and “they had chosen to end their lives together,” as reported by the German newspaper Bild, according to People.
According to CNN, Alice and Ellen were assisted by advocacy organization the German Society for Humane Dying (DGHS). The DGHS provides people with access to lawyers and doctors and other tools.
The organization told CNN that the twins contacted the DGHS over a year ago and 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.
However, Wetzel noted that she wasn’t aware of why each woman chose this method.
“Their desire to die was well-considered, long-standing, and free from any psychiatric crisis,” she added.
On Tuesday, local police confirmed to CNN that “there was a deployment yesterday lunchtime in Gruenwald” to their residence.
Assisted dying was made legal in Germany after it was ruled in 2020 that an individual has the right to end their life and to seek help from a third party.
In April 2024, Alice and Ellen reportedly told Bild that they wanted their ashes to be buried in the same urn. According to People, they will reportedly be buried alongside their mother, Elsa, and dog Yello.
The siblings were born in Nazi Germany, and their family fled East Germany for West Germany in 1952. After taking ballet from a young age, they went on to perform at Lido in Paris, a hot spot for cabaret performances. They also appeared on the Italian variety show “Studio Uno” and represented Germany at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest.
According to Eurovision, they were the first female stars to show their legs on screen.
Over the years, they appeared on the popular talk show, “The Ed Sullivan Show.” They also were close to Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Elvis Presley and Rock Hudson during their time performing.
On its official Instagram account, “The Ed Sullivan Show” wrote: “🌹 Honoring the extraordinary lives of the Kessler Twins. Alice & Ellen were dazzling stars, true legends, and sisters whose grace, charm, and magic will shine forever. ✨
Radio Monte Carlo also shared a touching tribute to Alice and Ellen following their deaths.
“Alice and Ellen Kessler left together, just as they lived: inseparable,” the Instagram 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.”
