The famous Kessler Twins chose to die together at the age of 89

The world of European entertainment is reflecting on the extraordinary lives and deeply personal final decision of Alice and Ellen Kessler, universally known as the Kessler Twins, who died together at age 89 on November 17, 2025, in their longtime home in Grünwald, Germany. The legendary sisters, icons of post-war music, dance, and television, chose to end their lives on the same day through legally permitted assisted dying. 

Their final act of choosing to die together has been described by those close to them, including representatives of the German Society for Humane Dying (DGHS), as a deliberate, thoughtful decision shaped by the bond that defined their entire lives. The DGHS stated that the sisters had become members more than a year before their deaths and that their desire to choose the time of their passing was “well-considered and long-standing.”

The famous Kessler Twins chose to die together at the age of 89

According to the DGHS, the Kessler Twins coordinated their decision over many months, undergoing the required consultations with doctors and legal advisors. Spokesperson Wega Wetzel noted that the key factor was their desire to die together on a chosen date, reflecting a lifetime spent side by side on stage, on screen, and in private life. Local police later confirmed that officers had responded to their Grünwald residence, though no details were provided.

The sisters fulfilled the necessary requirements as per Germany’s legal framework, and according to reports, the process took place quietly in their home.

In interviews from 2024, Ellen Kessler had already discussed their intentions to have their ashes placed together in a single urn, beside their mother Elsa and their dog Yello. Following their deaths, tributes poured in from across Europe. Italian broadcasters honored their immense impact on television history. German cultural institutions highlighted their role in shaping post-war entertainment. Radio Monte Carlo captured the sentiment most eloquently: 

“Alice and Ellen Kessler left together, just as they lived: inseparable.”

Everything we know about the Kessler Twins

Born on August 20, 1936, in Nerchau, Saxony, the Kessler Twins began ballet lessons at age six and joined the Leipzig Opera’s youth program at eleven. Their early promise as performers was evident even in childhood. In 1952, at age sixteen, they fled East Germany with their family, beginning a new life in the West and performing in Düsseldorf nightclubs.

Their major breakthrough arrived in Paris at the world-famous Lido cabaret, where they performed from 1955 to 1960. Later, they also represented West Germany at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest, met stars such as Elvis Presley, and soon appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States.

Their fame expanded rapidly in Italy, where they became icons of the 1960s entertainment boom. Nicknamed “the legs of the nation,” they lit up programs such as Studio Uno and Canzonissima and helped shape the identity of modern Italian television. Their 1976 Playboy cover became the fastest-selling Italian issue of its time.

The Kessler Twins’ final decision, like their remarkable lives, was made together, a powerful closing chapter to an unparalleled shared journey.