On 17 November 2025, German artists Alice and Ellen Kessler died at the age of 89. The identical twins were famous both at home and abroad, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. They sang, danced and acted together and were particularly popular in France, the US and Italy. They died at a time of their own choosing by ‘assisted euthanasia’, according to the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Humanes Sterben (DGHS).
German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/199. Photo: Gérard Decaux.
German postcard by WS-Druck, Wanne-Eickel. Photo: Gloria-Film.
German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/154. Photo: UFA.
German postcard by UFA (Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin-Tempelhof), no. CK-115. Retail price: 30 Pfg. Photo: Joe Niczky / UFA.
German postcard by Franz Josef Rüdel, Filmpostkartenverlag, Hamburg-Bergedorf, no. FT 18. Photo: Erma / Gloria-Film / Czerwonski. Alice and Ellen Kessler in Scherben bringen Glück / Seven Years Hard Luck (Ernst Marischka, 1957).
The German twin sisters Alice and Ellen Kessler (originally Kaessler) were born in Nerchau, Germany in 1936. They are usually credited as the Kessler Twins (Die Kessler-Zwillinge in Germany and Le Gemelle Kessler in Italy).
Their parents, Paul and Elsa Kaessler, sent them to ballet classes at the age of six, and they joined the Leipzig Opera's child ballet program at age 11. In 1952, their parents used a visitor's visa to escape to West Germany, where the 18-year-old twins performed at the Palladium in Düsseldorf.
Soon followed parts in such featherlight entertainment films like Solang' es hübsche Mädchen gibt / Beautiful Girls (Arthur Maria Rabenalt, 1955) with Georg Thomalla, the operetta Der Bettelstudent / The Beggar Student (Werner Jacobs, 1955) and another operetta Der Graf von Luxemburg / The Count of Luxemburg (Werner Jacobs, 1957) with Gerhard Riedmann.
Between 1955 and 1960, they also performed at the famous Lido variety hall at the Champs-Élysées in Paris, and they also appeared in French musical films such as La garçonne (Jacqueline Audry, 1957) with Fernand Gravey, Tabarin (Richard Pottier, 1958) starring Michel Piccoli, and the anthology film La française et l'amour / Love and the Frenchwoman (Henri Verneuil a.o., 1960), starring Jean-Paul Belmondo.
A year later, the twins represented West Germany at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest. They finished in 8th place with 'Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n' (Tonight we want to go dancing).
German postcard by Kolibri Verlag G.m.b.H, Minden/Westf., no. 2797. Photo: CCC / Constantin Film/ Arthur Grimm. Alice & Ellen Kessler in Der Graf von Luxemburg / The Count of Luxemburg (Werner Jacobs, 1957).
German postcard by WS-Druck, Wanne-Eickel, no. 398. Photo: Polydor / Seitz / Constantin / Looschen.
German postcard by Netter's Star Verlag, Berlin.
German postcard by WS-Druck, Wanne-Eickel, no. 305. Photo: Defir.
German postcard by Filmbilder-Vertrieb Ernst Freihoff, Essen, no. 734. Photo: Polydor / Klaus Collignon.
Alice & Ellen Kessler moved to Italy in 1960. There they had already appeared as themselves in Le bellissime gambe di Sabrina / The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina (Camillo Mastrocinque, 1959) featuring American sex symbol Mamie van Doren.
Gradually they got more serious roles in such films as the adventure film Gli Invasori / Erik the Conqueror (Mario Bava, 1961) starring Cameron Mitchell and Sodom and Gomorrah (Robert Aldrich, 1962) starring Stewart Granger. In the USA, they were not as popular, but in 1963 they appeared on the cover of Life Magazine and during the 1960s they often worked for TV and in Las Vegas.
During the following decades, they worked mostly for TV in Europe. At the age of 40, they agreed to pose on the cover of the Italian edition of Playboy. That issue became reportedly the fastest-selling Italian Playboy up until that point. They moved back to Germany in 1986. They received the Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande (highest German order) in 1987 and the Premio Capo Circe for their achievements in German-Italian understanding.
Their death was a case of assisted suicide, according to the German Society for Humane Dying (DGHS). Alice and Ellen Kessler had been members of the association for some time and had set the date of death themselves as 17 November. A lawyer and a doctor had held preliminary talks with them and came to the sisters' house in Grünwald to accompany them in their dying.
According to their will, the sisters wanted to be buried in the same urn. In recent years, they led a secluded life in a house in Grünwald, south of Munich, where they also died. They always stayed together, had amourettes, but never married. According to their will, the sisters wanted to be buried in the same urn. In recent years, they led a secluded life in a house in Grünwald, south of Munich. That is also where they died. They always stayed together, had amourettes, but never married.
German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, Minden/Westf., no. 2964.
German postcard by Graphima, Berlin.
German collectors card by Druckerei Hanns Uhrig, Frankfurt a.M. Photo: Cosmos / NF / Wanke. Alice and Ellen Kessler in Vier Mädel aus der Wachau/Four Girls from the Wachau (Franz Antel, 1957).
German postcard by WS-Druck, Wanne-Eickel, no. 495.
Italian postcard by Edizione diesse.
The Kessler Twins and Peter Alexander perform 'Ich spiel mit dir' (1962). Source: Fritz51251 (YouTube).
The Kessler Twins sing 'Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n' at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest. Source: Joao Velado (YouTube).
Sources: Tagesschau (German), NOS (Dutch),Wikipedia and IMDb.
German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/199. Photo: Gérard Decaux.
German postcard by WS-Druck, Wanne-Eickel. Photo: Gloria-Film.
German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/154. Photo: UFA.
German postcard by UFA (Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin-Tempelhof), no. CK-115. Retail price: 30 Pfg. Photo: Joe Niczky / UFA.
German postcard by Franz Josef Rüdel, Filmpostkartenverlag, Hamburg-Bergedorf, no. FT 18. Photo: Erma / Gloria-Film / Czerwonski. Alice and Ellen Kessler in Scherben bringen Glück / Seven Years Hard Luck (Ernst Marischka, 1957).
Featherlight films
The German twin sisters Alice and Ellen Kessler (originally Kaessler) were born in Nerchau, Germany in 1936. They are usually credited as the Kessler Twins (Die Kessler-Zwillinge in Germany and Le Gemelle Kessler in Italy).
Their parents, Paul and Elsa Kaessler, sent them to ballet classes at the age of six, and they joined the Leipzig Opera's child ballet program at age 11. In 1952, their parents used a visitor's visa to escape to West Germany, where the 18-year-old twins performed at the Palladium in Düsseldorf.
Soon followed parts in such featherlight entertainment films like Solang' es hübsche Mädchen gibt / Beautiful Girls (Arthur Maria Rabenalt, 1955) with Georg Thomalla, the operetta Der Bettelstudent / The Beggar Student (Werner Jacobs, 1955) and another operetta Der Graf von Luxemburg / The Count of Luxemburg (Werner Jacobs, 1957) with Gerhard Riedmann.
Between 1955 and 1960, they also performed at the famous Lido variety hall at the Champs-Élysées in Paris, and they also appeared in French musical films such as La garçonne (Jacqueline Audry, 1957) with Fernand Gravey, Tabarin (Richard Pottier, 1958) starring Michel Piccoli, and the anthology film La française et l'amour / Love and the Frenchwoman (Henri Verneuil a.o., 1960), starring Jean-Paul Belmondo.
A year later, the twins represented West Germany at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest. They finished in 8th place with 'Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n' (Tonight we want to go dancing).
German postcard by Kolibri Verlag G.m.b.H, Minden/Westf., no. 2797. Photo: CCC / Constantin Film/ Arthur Grimm. Alice & Ellen Kessler in Der Graf von Luxemburg / The Count of Luxemburg (Werner Jacobs, 1957).
German postcard by WS-Druck, Wanne-Eickel, no. 398. Photo: Polydor / Seitz / Constantin / Looschen.
German postcard by Netter's Star Verlag, Berlin.
German postcard by WS-Druck, Wanne-Eickel, no. 305. Photo: Defir.
German postcard by Filmbilder-Vertrieb Ernst Freihoff, Essen, no. 734. Photo: Polydor / Klaus Collignon.
Playboy
Alice & Ellen Kessler moved to Italy in 1960. There they had already appeared as themselves in Le bellissime gambe di Sabrina / The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina (Camillo Mastrocinque, 1959) featuring American sex symbol Mamie van Doren.
Gradually they got more serious roles in such films as the adventure film Gli Invasori / Erik the Conqueror (Mario Bava, 1961) starring Cameron Mitchell and Sodom and Gomorrah (Robert Aldrich, 1962) starring Stewart Granger. In the USA, they were not as popular, but in 1963 they appeared on the cover of Life Magazine and during the 1960s they often worked for TV and in Las Vegas.
During the following decades, they worked mostly for TV in Europe. At the age of 40, they agreed to pose on the cover of the Italian edition of Playboy. That issue became reportedly the fastest-selling Italian Playboy up until that point. They moved back to Germany in 1986. They received the Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande (highest German order) in 1987 and the Premio Capo Circe for their achievements in German-Italian understanding.
Their death was a case of assisted suicide, according to the German Society for Humane Dying (DGHS). Alice and Ellen Kessler had been members of the association for some time and had set the date of death themselves as 17 November. A lawyer and a doctor had held preliminary talks with them and came to the sisters' house in Grünwald to accompany them in their dying.
According to their will, the sisters wanted to be buried in the same urn. In recent years, they led a secluded life in a house in Grünwald, south of Munich, where they also died. They always stayed together, had amourettes, but never married. According to their will, the sisters wanted to be buried in the same urn. In recent years, they led a secluded life in a house in Grünwald, south of Munich. That is also where they died. They always stayed together, had amourettes, but never married.
German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, Minden/Westf., no. 2964.
German postcard by Graphima, Berlin.
German collectors card by Druckerei Hanns Uhrig, Frankfurt a.M. Photo: Cosmos / NF / Wanke. Alice and Ellen Kessler in Vier Mädel aus der Wachau/Four Girls from the Wachau (Franz Antel, 1957).
German postcard by WS-Druck, Wanne-Eickel, no. 495.
Italian postcard by Edizione diesse.
The Kessler Twins and Peter Alexander perform 'Ich spiel mit dir' (1962). Source: Fritz51251 (YouTube).
The Kessler Twins sing 'Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n' at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest. Source: Joao Velado (YouTube).
Sources: Tagesschau (German), NOS (Dutch),Wikipedia and IMDb.
3 comments:
Great post! The Kessler Twins still pop up on Italian TV in guest appearances even today!
Thanks. Great to read that these twins are still active.
rip ladies
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