In their final years, Alice and Ellen Kessler, who have been dubbed the “Kessler Twins,” expressed a common hope as they considered their deaths.
One final heartbreaking wish was shared by twins Alice and Ellen Kessler after they made the joint decision to end their lives.
The Kessler Twins, who were born in the Nerchau region of Germany, were the first to perform ballet on stage with the Leipzig Opera, and it was obvious from a young age that they were going to become stars. However, their country experienced troubled times when they were young, and the pair emigrated from communist East Germany to West Germany in 1952.
Although the siblings were only 16 years old, they already recognized their desire for great things in life. Following these performances, Elvis Presley himself became one of the most well-known names of the time, and it wasn’t long before they caught the attention of some of the country’s most well-known names.
Alice and Ellen conquered America with performances on well-known variety shows like The Ed Sullivan Show after moving to Italy in 1962. Along with stars like Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and Eddie Fisher, they shared the stage with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire during their extraordinary careers.
The sisters made one final choice as they neared the end of their lives: to commit suicide together that day. And they made their wishes crystal clear, as they had done right away.
READ MORE: Famous Kessler Twins die by assisted suicide on the same day
Alice and Ellen discussed their final days together in a 2024 interview with German publication Bild, sharing that they wanted their mother’s remains, their dog, Elsa, and their combined ashes to be placed in an urn after. They also shared that they wanted their ashes to be placed in an urn after. Ellen clarified, “That’s what we stipulated in our will.”
Neither Alice nor Ellen married nor welcomed any children to whom they could leave their undisclosed fortune. Initially, they decided to leave everything to Doctors Without Borders, an NGO that provides humanitarian medical care in conflict zones across the world. However, after thinking it over, the sisters decided they “didn’t want to lump everything together”, instead opting to split the cash between various charities.
CBM Blind Mission, UNICEF’s Children’s Aid Program, Paul Klinger Artists’ Social Welfare Fund, and the German Foundation for Patient Protection are just a few of the organizations they’ve chosen.
Ellen explained how they came to the conclusion that there should be more than one person receiving something from each other. Instead of putting everything in one pot, we wanted to divide our inheritance more fairly. There are a lot of needs for donations. We still have a small sum of money, she continued. We invested our money wisely, never tossed it away, and made a very good profit.
It is understood that the siblings’ heirloom, which would include a 900 square foot garden with a pool, would not be small. Our lives have been defined by discipline, Ellen said. We are about to reach the end. We won’t be able to live long. Therefore, discipline is required to be applied to the conclusion.
According to the two women, who are both legally able to die in their home country of Germany, medical assistance is available. According to this article, Alice and Ellen “had chosen to end their lives together” and “no longer wanted to live.”
Although assisted suicide is not entirely legal in Germany, a landmark 2020 Constitutional Court decision established the right to a self-determined death, which implies that assisted suicide is legal and permissible.
The Samaritans have a free helpline that is available 24/7, accessible at 116 123, for those who are struggling and need to talk. You can also contact Jo at jo@samaritans.org or visit their website to find your neighborhood branch.
Do you have a tale to tell? Contact me at julia@gmail.com. banim@reachplc.com
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Source: Mirror
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