The iconic Kessler twins from Germany, famous for their dazzling dance routines, reportedly spent a considerable sum to ensure they could depart this world on their own terms at the age of 89.
According to a report from TMZ, Alice and Ellen Kessler, who had shared the stage with legends like Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra, invested thousands of dollars in planning their end-of-life arrangements.
The duo utilized the services of the DGHS, an acronym for the German Society for Humane Dying, to facilitate their plans.
The organization confirmed to the media outlet that their services are priced at $4,600 per individual or $7,000 for a pair.
This fee includes the involvement of both legal and medical professionals necessary for the procedure, as a representative from DGHS clarified. However, it does not cover the costs associated with cremation, which the sisters had preferred.
Further details revealed that while clients are typically required to engage with DGHS six months before their desired date, the Kessler twins began their arrangements about a year in advance.
The glamorous dancing Kessler twins from Germany ‘paid a mini fortune’ to die together at 89. Seen in the 1950s
The dynamic duo, who worked with Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra, forked over thousands of dollars to make sure their lives ended when they wanted, according to a Thursday report from TMZ. Seen in the 1950s
They passed away in their home in Grünwald near Munich, Germany this week.
Their life ended with an overdose of anesthetic given by needle. Once the client is dead, DGHS contacts the police.
Germany’s laws on end-of-life care permit passive euthanasia, such as withdrawing life support, and the organization works within this framework to help individuals make end-of-life decisions.
The twins reportedly told Bild in 2024 that they wanted their ashes to be placed together in an urn after their death, along with the remains of their mother, Elsa, and their dog, Yello.
‘That’s what we stipulated in our will,’ Ellen said, via Parade.
Local authorities reportedly confirmed on Monday that Ellen and Alice had died together at their home, which had adjoining residences separated by a dividing wall.
The blonde ladies named Alice and Ellen Kessler used the services of DGHS, which stands for the German Society for Humane Dying when translated; seen in 1976
The site spoke to DGHS about how much it would go through with the end of life treatment and they said it was $4,600 per person and $7,000 for two people; seen in 1959
They added that there was no indication of foul play in the dual deaths.
A tribute posted to Instagram by Radio Monte Carlo said that the Kessler twins ‘left together, just as they lived: inseparable,’ according to an automatic translation.
‘Born in 1936, they were an absolute symbol of European spectacle, including music, dance and television,’ the organization wrote. ‘In Italy, they became celebrities as the “legs of the nation,” icon[s] of elegance and stage presence since the Fifties.
It added that the Kessler twins were a ‘unique artistic couple, capable of leaving an indelible imprint on the collective imagination.’
That cost covers both lawyers and doctors for the assisted suicide, Wega Wetzel, a spokesperson for DGHS, stated; seen with Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas in 1960
And the fee does not include cremation expenses, which is what the sisters had wanted; seen in 1976
It was added by the outlet that they were required to start working with DGHS six months prior to their death but the twins reached out about a year ago. The Kessler twins in Rome, Italy in 1988
The twins also became popular in the US beginning in the 1960s thanks to multiple appearances on talk and variety shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Red Skelton Hour; pictured circa the 1970s
According to the German publication Bild, the sisters ‘no longer wanted to live’ and ‘had chosen to end their lives together’; pictured October 24 in Munich, Germany
The sisters, who were reportedly born in the Nerchau area of Germany, started their entertainment careers as child ballet performers with the Leipzig Opera.
In 1952, when they were just 16, the Kesslers fled communist East German for West Germany, from where they were able to perform across Europe.
Their popular performances also brought them to the attention of American musicians and performances, including Elvis Presley, who reportedly saw them perform at Le Lido in Paris when he was stationed in West Germany after being drafted into the Army in 1958.
They also worked with Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and Sammy Davis Jr.
Beginning in the late 1950s, the Kessler twins diversified their act by focusing on singing, both on screen and on records.
The Kessler twins later relocated to Italy in 1962, and the early ’60s marked the beginning of their popularity in the US thanks to appearances on high-profile variety shows including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Red Skelton Hour.
In 1986, Alice and Ellen moved back to West Germany, settling in Grünwald, where they would end their lives together nearly 40 years later.
