Alice and Ellen Kessler, famous German twin entertainers, have died at age 89, according to dpa. The twins were known as The Kessler Twins and became very popular in post-war Europe, Yahoo Entertainment reported.
They lived together in a shared home in Grünwald near Munich, and police confirmed officers were called to the house on Monday. Police said there were no signs of foul play. The German Society for Humane Dying in Berlin said the twins had chosen assisted suicide.
In the 1960s, the Kessler twins had a jet-setting international career. They moved to Rome and performed with Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, and Harry Belafonte, as per the report by Yahoo Entertainment. The twins said their biggest success was their musical “Viola violino viola d’amore”, which toured across Italy.
“Nobody thought we could do it back then. And then it became a huge success,” Alice Kessler said. They performed more often in Italy than in Germany during that time. The sisters never married and continued to work well into their 80s before retiring in Grünwald south of Munich.
Officials again said no foul play was suspected, according to Parade. Bild reported that the sisters chose medically assisted suicide, which is legal in Germany under strict conditions where the person must decide freely. The twins were born in 1936 in Nerchau and performed as children with the Leipzig Opera ballet.
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After leaving East Germany in 1952, they toured Europe and the U.S., working with entertainers like Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire. At age 19, they performed with the Bluebell Girls at the Lido in Paris.They became huge stars in Italy, especially during the early golden age of TV, appearing on shows like “Giardino d’inverno” and “Studio Uno”. Their famous “Da-da-un-pa” dance routine, directed by Antonello Falqui, made them widely loved and gave them the nickname “the nation’s legs”.
Their work covered ballet, cabaret, and variety shows, making them well-known across Europe According to Bild, the twins’ will asked that their ashes be placed in one urn together with their mother Elsa and their dog Yello. Ellen said in 2024 about this wish, “That’s what we stipulated in our will”.
They chose medically assisted suicide, which officials confirmed was done legally and with no signs of foul play.
Q2. Why were the Kessler Twins so famous?
They became major stars in Europe for their synchronized dancing and TV performances, especially in Italy during the golden age of television.
They lived together in a shared home in Grünwald near Munich, and police confirmed officers were called to the house on Monday. Police said there were no signs of foul play. The German Society for Humane Dying in Berlin said the twins had chosen assisted suicide.
Kessler Twins early life and career
The sisters were trained in ballet and began their careers before age 20 at the Lido variety theatre in Paris. Their first performance was in Düsseldorf, where they lived after fleeing communist East Germany. The Lido director discovered them in 1955 and quickly brought them to Paris to perform.In the 1960s, the Kessler twins had a jet-setting international career. They moved to Rome and performed with Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, and Harry Belafonte, as per the report by Yahoo Entertainment. The twins said their biggest success was their musical “Viola violino viola d’amore”, which toured across Italy.
“Nobody thought we could do it back then. And then it became a huge success,” Alice Kessler said. They performed more often in Italy than in Germany during that time. The sisters never married and continued to work well into their 80s before retiring in Grünwald south of Munich.
Kessler Twins legacy and final years
Shortly before her 80th birthday, Alice said they stayed strong because they worked as a pair, “Being on the road as a duo only has advantages. You're stronger together.” In their will, the twins said they wanted their ashes buried in one urn. Authorities in Germany confirmed the deaths after responding to a call at their home with adjoining flats separated by a sliding wall, Parade reported.Officials again said no foul play was suspected, according to Parade. Bild reported that the sisters chose medically assisted suicide, which is legal in Germany under strict conditions where the person must decide freely. The twins were born in 1936 in Nerchau and performed as children with the Leipzig Opera ballet.
ALSO READ: Novo Nordisk launches limited offer: New patients can start Ozempic or Wegovy for $199 a month
After leaving East Germany in 1952, they toured Europe and the U.S., working with entertainers like Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire. At age 19, they performed with the Bluebell Girls at the Lido in Paris.They became huge stars in Italy, especially during the early golden age of TV, appearing on shows like “Giardino d’inverno” and “Studio Uno”. Their famous “Da-da-un-pa” dance routine, directed by Antonello Falqui, made them widely loved and gave them the nickname “the nation’s legs”.
Their work covered ballet, cabaret, and variety shows, making them well-known across Europe According to Bild, the twins’ will asked that their ashes be placed in one urn together with their mother Elsa and their dog Yello. Ellen said in 2024 about this wish, “That’s what we stipulated in our will”.
FAQs
Q1. How did the Kessler Twins die?They chose medically assisted suicide, which officials confirmed was done legally and with no signs of foul play.
Q2. Why were the Kessler Twins so famous?
They became major stars in Europe for their synchronized dancing and TV performances, especially in Italy during the golden age of television.
