On November 17, 2025, Alice and Ellen Kessler, one of the most popular European artists of the second half of the 20th century, died in Grunwald near Munich. According to information from German services, the two used a procedure for assisted termination of life, which is permitted in Germany when specific legal criteria are met. The investigating authorities have not found any traces of external influence.
Alice and Ellen Kessler were born on August 20, 1936 in Nerhau, Saxony. Their dance training began early, and at the age of 11 they were included in the ballet troupe of the Leipzig Opera. After leaving the GDR in 1952, the family settled in West Germany, where their international stage career began.
In the second half of the 1950s, the sisters worked in prestigious European revue programs, including at the Lido in Paris. In 1959, they represented West Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Heute abend woll’n wir tanzen geh’n, where they finished in eighth place. In the 1960s, they achieved considerable popularity in Italy, especially through their appearances in television formats such as Studio Uno and Giardino d’inverno, which strengthened their status as well-known figures in European show business.
In parallel with their European activity, they also participated in the American television market. They appeared on The Red Skelton Hour and The Ed Sullivan Show, as well as in film productions, including Sodom and Gomorrah from 1962. During this period, they were considered one of the most recognizable dance and stage duo performers in Europe.
The Kessler sisters lived in neighboring apartments in a shared property in Grünwald. In previous interviews, they have stated that they wish to be cremated and placed in a common urn, along with their mother and their pet.
Alice and Ellen Kessler's career spans more than six decades and includes significant contributions to television and stage entertainment content in Germany, Italy, and France. They remain part of the cultural history of European television, especially during the period of rapid development of the entertainment format from the late 1950s to the 1970s.