Kessler Twins, Iconic German Entertainers, Die by Assisted Suicide at 89

Alice and Ellen Kessler, the legendary duo known as the Kessler Twins, passed away at 89 on Monday, Nov. 17. Their deaths were confirmed by Munich police, who said the sisters underwent an assisted suicide inside their home in Grünwald on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

According to a source, the twins contacted the DGHS more than a year ago to initiate the process and later became members, gaining access to doctors and legal guidance.

CNN was able to get the statement from DGHS spokesperson Wega Wetzel.

“The decisive factor is likely to have been the desire to die together on a specific date,” Wetzel told CNN on Tuesday.

“Their desire to die was well-considered, long-standing, and free from any psychiatric crisis,” the spokesperson added. 

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera was able to interview the Wessler twins last year. In the interview, the twins said they wanted “to go away together on the same day.”

“The idea that one of us might get it first is very hard to bear,” they added.

Ellen Kessler told the German tabloid Bild last year that they wanted their ashes placed together in a single urn, beside their mother, Elsa, and their dog, Yello.

Kessler Twins’ Career Timeline

Their careers spanned six decades, beginning with rigorous ballet training in East Germany before their family fled to the West in the early 1950s. From there, the twins built a path in theater and television that turned them into two of the most recognizable performers of their time. They became popular figures in West German entertainment, later rising to even greater fame in Italy, where television appearances and stage productions expanded their international profile. Their work eventually reached audiences in the United States, further solidifying their place as one of the most enduring twin acts in postwar entertainment. The milestones below represent the key moments that have shaped their long and successful journey.

1936: Birth and early training

The Kessler Twins were born in 1936 in what was then East Germany and began formal ballet training at a young age.

1952: Escape to West Germany

Their family fled to West Germany in 1952, which allowed them to begin performing in theaters and on early television.

Late 1950s: Rise in West German entertainment

They gained widespread recognition in the late 1950s through films and variety shows, making them familiar faces in the German entertainment scene.

1960s: Breakthrough in Italy

During the 1960s, they became major stars in Italy through television programs, stage productions, and musical specials.

Assisted Suicide Ethical Considerations

The deaths of the Kessler twins have renewed discussion about how assisted suicide is handled within medical ethics and public policy. In Germany, assisted suicide is allowed because suicide itself is not considered a criminal act, a principle explained by the Deutsches Referenzzentrum für Ethik in den Biowissenschaften. The organization states that “assisted suicide is also not punishable by law.”

The situation has raised broader questions about autonomy, end-of-life care, and the responsibilities of those who participate in assisted dying.