Alice and Ellen Kessler, the German twins who rose to fame in the 1950s as a variety entertainment duo, have died at the age of 89 by joint assisted suicide, advocacy organisation the German Society for Humane Dying (DGHS) said.

Local police confirmed to CNN on Tuesday that "there was a deployment yesterday lunchtime in Gruenwald" – the leafy suburb of Munich where the twins lived – but did not say the reason for that deployment.

The twins contacted the DGHS, which provides access to lawyers and doctors, more than a year ago and became members, the organisation said.

"The decisive factor is likely to have been the desire to die together on a specific date," DGHS spokesperson Wega Wetzel said, adding that she wasn't aware of the precise reasons given by each woman.

"Their desire to die

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