Why did the Kessler twins make a joint choice? Details explored as the famed post-war entertainers Alice and Ellen pass away at 89

Circus Roncalli "ARTistART" Premiere - Source: Getty
Circus Roncalli "ARTistART" Premiere - Source: Getty

Popular German twin sisters Alice and Ellen Kessler died on Monday, November 17, 2025. The twins decided to end their lives on the same day via assisted suicide.

Assisted suicide, also referred to as PAS, is a process by which a person is medically assisted to kill themselves. It is different from common euthanasia and is legal in Germany if certain conditions are met.

On Monday, November 17, Bild, a German magazine, reported the passing of Alice and Ellen. It wrote:

“The famous Kessler twins are dead. A nation mourns. The legendary entertainers died in Grünwald near Munich: They had chosen to end their lives together. They no longer wanted to live.”

The magazine also reported that the Kessler twins admitted in an April 2024 interview that they wanted to be buried together in an urn alongside their mother and their dog’s ashes.

“That's what we stipulated in our wills,” Ellen said at the time.

More details on the Kessler twins, Alice and Ellen’s passing

Alice and Ellen Kessler were born in August 1936 and rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s following the war. They gained international recognition as singers, dancers, actresses, and entertainers, especially for their roles in the Perry Como Show and the Rolf Harris Show.

Before their death, Alice and Ellen were awarded the Golden Rose of Montreux and the Federal Cross of Merit. They were also celebrated in Nerchau and were named honorary citizens of the city. In 2025, the twins received the Bavarian Order of Merit.

The Kessler twins’ passing was confirmed by the police, who ruled out any foul play.

Bild reported:

“Around noon, a patrol car went to the property of the prominent twins in Grünwald ( Bavaria ). The officers from the K12 specialist unit, who were routinely called to the scene, could only confirm the sisters' deaths during an initial examination of the bodies and rule out foul play.”

Radio Monte Carlo shared a tribute after their passing:

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

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Edited by Tanisha Aggarwal