The Kessler twins, German dance stars in the 50s and 60s, die in ‘joint suicide’, police say

The Kessler Twins, German sisters famous across Europe for their singing and dancing, have died together through assisted means, local police have said.

Content warning: this article contains references to suicide

Munich officers said in a statement on Tuesday that Alice and Ellen Kessler had died by “joint suicide” at their shared home in Grunwald. They were 89.

The German Society for Humane Dying, a group in support of assisted dying, told Sky’s US partner network NBC News that the sisters had “been considering this option for some time”.

It added they had been members for more than a year and that “a lawyer and a doctor conducted preliminary discussions with them”, and said: “People who choose this option in Germany must be absolutely clear-headed, meaning free and responsible.

“The decision must be thoughtful and consistent, meaning made over a long period of time and not impulsive.”

In an interview last year with the Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera, the sisters said they wished to die together on the same day.

Read more: Why is assisted dying so controversial – and where is it already legal?

A ban on assisted dying in Germany was overturned by the country’s federal court in 2020.

While the practice is not explicitly permitted, judges said at the time the previous law outlawing it infringed on constitutional rights.

Alice and Ellen were born in 1936 and trained as ballet dancers in their youth. They began their entertainment careers in the 1950s after their family fled from East Germany to West Germany.

Professionally known as The Kessler Twins, they were then discovered by the director of the Lido cabaret theatre in Paris in 1955, launching their international career.

In 1959, the sisters also represented a now-unified Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Cannes, France.

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Throughout the 1960s, Alice and Ellen toured the world, moved to Rome, and performed with singers Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra and Harry Belafonte.

Both sisters continued to perform together into later life, appearing on stage in a musical at 80 years old.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK.

In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK