German twins Alice and Ellen Kessler have died by assisted suicide. They were 89.
“They had been considering this option for some time. They had been members of the organization for over a year. A lawyer and a doctor conducted preliminary discussions with them,” the German Society for Human Dying (DGHS) said in an English-language statement to NBC on Tuesday, November 18, one day after Alice and Ellen died.
The message continued, “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.”
The organization told CNN on Tuesday that Alice and Ellen contacted DGHS more than a year ago and became members.
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“The decisive factor is likely to have been the desire to die together on a specific date,” DGHS spokesperson Wega Wetzel told CNN, noting that she didn’t know of either woman’s reasoning. “Their desire to die was well-considered, long-standing, and free from any psychiatric crisis.”
One year earlier, Alice and Ellen got candid about their end of life plans and shared that they wanted to “go away together on the same day.”
“The idea that one of us might get it first is very hard to bear,” they added in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, translated to English.
CNN reported that Ellen noted to German outlet Bild last year that the duo wanted their ashes interred in the same urn alongside their mother, Elsa, and dog Yello.
Alice and Ellen were born in 1936 in Nazi Germany, training as ballet dancers before launching their professional careers in 1950 when their family fled from East Germany to West Germany.
The duo were known professionally as The Kessler Twins and made their American TV debut on the CBS variety show The Red Skeleton Hour in 1963. They also made an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which paid tribute to the twins after their death.
“🌹 Honoring the extraordinary lives of the Kessler Twins. Alice & Ellen were dazzling stars, true legends, and sisters whose grace, charm, and magic will shine forever. ✨,” the official account for The Ed Sullivan Show wrote via Instagram on Monday, alongside a clip from the pair’s performance.
Several users took to the comments section to share their condolences and reflect on Alice and Ellen’s close-knit bond.
“They are inseparable, if one die surely the part of their soul will be torn apart — leaving the one who’s alive with emptiness and heartbreak, I find it sweet how they choose to go together in another life, rest in peace The Kessler Twins❤️,” one user wrote, while another added, “What splendid women, what a marvel, unique, beautiful, excellent artists, unforgettable women.”
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