The world of entertainment is mourning the loss of Alice and Ellen Kessler, the iconic twin showgirls who died by assisted suicide on the same day at the age of 89. In their final years, the sisters made their last, deeply personal wishes abundantly clear, leaving behind a poignant legacy.
A Life Forged in Discipline and Stardom
Born in the Nerchau area of Germany, Alice and Ellen Kessler discovered their passion for performance early, beginning as child ballet dancers with the prestigious Leipzig Opera. Their youth was marked by upheaval, and in 1952, at just 16 years old, they fled communist East Germany for West Germany, determined to pursue their dreams.
Their talent quickly propelled them across European stages, eventually catching the eye of music legend Elvis Presley. After relocating to Italy in 1962, they conquered the swinging sixties, making a significant impact in America with appearances on top-tier programmes like The Ed Sullivan Show. Their remarkable career saw them perform alongside icons such as Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, and Dean Martin.
A Unified Final Decision
As they approached the end of their lives, the sisters, who never married or had children, made the profound and unified decision to end their lives together through assisted suicide. In a 2024 interview with German publication Bild, they articulated their final, heartbreaking wish.
Ellen Kessler revealed that they had stipulated in their will for their combined ashes to be placed in a single urn, alongside the remains of their mother, Elsa, and their dog, Yello. This final act of togetherness perfectly encapsulated a lifetime spent side-by-side.
A Carefully Considered Charitable Legacy
With no direct heirs, the twins gave considerable thought to their undisclosed fortune, which included a property with a 900 square meter garden and a pool. Initially planning to leave everything to Doctors Without Borders, they later decided on a more distributed approach.
Ellen explained their reasoning, stating they "didn't want to lump everything together" and instead wanted to divide their inheritance more fairly among several causes. The organisations chosen to benefit from their wealth include:
- CBM blind mission
- The UNICEF children's aid organisation
- The Paul Klinger Artists' Social Welfare Fund
- The German Foundation for Patient Protection
Ellen attributed their ability to be philanthropic to a life of discipline and wise financial management, noting, "We earned very well, never threw our money away, and invested it wisely."
Their choice of assisted dying, while not fully regulated in Germany, was made possible by a landmark 2020 Constitutional Court ruling that affirmed the right to a self-determined death. The sisters, who had remained active in their industry until the very end, simply stated they "no longer wanted to live" and faced their end with the same discipline that characterised their extraordinary lives.
