Overview
- Police say Alice and Ellen Kessler died together on November 17 at their home in Grünwald near Munich, with no signs of third‑party involvement.
- DGHS confirmed an assisted death and said the sisters had explicitly lifted the group’s confidentiality so their case could be discussed publicly.
- Friends describe careful preparations, including setting the date, taking prescribed lethal medication in the presence of a doctor and a lawyer, sending keepsakes, and adjusting practical affairs.
- The twins revised their wills in 2024 to divide their estate among several charities rather than a single beneficiary, according to multiple reports.
- Palliative leaders and Caritas warn against romanticising such cases and potential pressure on older people, hospices stress accompaniment without facilitating suicide, and lawmakers including Karl Lauterbach call for a statutory framework with a new draft reported in the works.