The Kessler Twins Cause of Death: How Did the Legendary Siblings Die?

The legendary Kessler twins, Alice and Ellen, who gained international fame in the 1960s, have died this week. The siblings were announced to have passed away together via medically assisted suicide.

The German Society for Humane Dying confirmed that the Kessler twins died by medically assisted suicide on 17 November. They were 89 years old at the time of their deaths. The twins were part of the organisation for more than a year.

The organisation also told The Guardian that neither suffered from mental health conditions. They had been considering the option for some time, and discussed the process with a doctor and a lawyer.

'People who choose this option in Germany must be absolutely clear-headed, meaning free and responsible,' said a spokesperson for the organisation. 'The decision must be thoughtful and consistent, meaning made over a long period of time and not impulsive.'

Speaking to CNN, DGHS spokesperson Wega Wetzel shared some details on the deaths of the twin sisters. Wetzel revealed that the organisation were not informed of the exact reasoning behind the twins' decision to die together.

'The decisive factor is likely to have been the desire to die together on a specific date,' said Wetzel. 'Their desire to die was well-considered, long-standing, and free from any psychiatric crisis.'

The Kessler Twins Wished to Die Together

In a 2024 interview with the Italian news outlet Corriere della Serra, the twins shared that they wish to die together. The German entertainers said, 'the idea that one of the two will go first is very difficult to bear'.

Ellen Kessler previously told the German tabloid Bild that they wanted to be buried in the same urn as their mother and dog—a wish specified in their will..

The procedure comes as a court in Germany overturned the ban in 2020 on medically assisted dying. The ruling said the previous law was unconstitutional and that the country's constitution includes a right to a self-determined death.

Multi-Talented Entertainers

Alice and Ellen Kessler were born on 20 August, 1936 in Germany. They trained as ballet dancers during their childhood before fleeing to West Germany in 1952. Their ballet training eventually brought them to Paris, where they performed at the historic Le Lido and where they would eventually get recruited by its director.

The twins also found success in Italy, where they performed at the Italian variety programme Studio Uno. Their continued success after the war in Europe led to them sharing the stage with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, and Fred Astaire in the 1950s and 1960s. According to German outlet SWR, even Elvis Presley once tried to woo the twins after a performance in Paris, but did not succeed.

They also saw some success in America and had several appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Red Skelton Hour, The Hollywood Palace, and even the 1963 movie 'odom and Gomorrah.

Having never married, they continued working into their 80s before they eventually retired to Grünwald, a suburb near Munich.