Monika Kaelin
Penthouse Pet of the Month, May 1980

Monika Kaelin Bio

October 13, 1954 / Libra / Age 71

Monika Kaelin is a Swiss-born Penthouse model, singer, writer and actress, born Monika Kalin on October 13, 1954 in Schwyz, Switzerland.

Monika Kaelin was crowned Penthouse Pet of the Month in May 1980, stepping into the spotlight at 25 years old. With her statuesque 37-25-36 figure, charming brown eyes, silky black hair, and natural breasts, Monika radiates a fresh yet unmistakably provocative energy that feels both spontaneous and irresistible.

Monika Kaelin entered Penthouse in May 1980 with a rare combination of elegance, intelligence, and unmistakable European poise. She was also featured as the Pet for the very first German edition of Penthouse in April 1980.

Monika’s path to international recognition was anything but conventional. A trained kindergarten teacher who worked at the Ingenbohl monastery in the canton of Schwyz, she attended the Theresianum secondary school and later pursued studies in singing and violin at the conservatory. Fluent in five foreign languages, she embodied refinement long before the camera found her.

Her rise accelerated in 1979 when she was crowned Miss Switzerland, a title that brought national attention and opened doors across fashion, film, and media. Discovered early as a photo model, Monika’s beauty carried the classic lines of European sophistication — luminous, composed, and effortlessly photogenic. Her Penthouse pictorial captured that exact balance: polished yet warm, confident yet approachable.

Beyond modeling, Monika built a diverse artistic career. She appeared in films such as Girls After Midnight (1978), S.A.S. a San Salvador (1983), and Plem, Plem – Die Schule brennt (1983), expanding her presence onto the silver screen. Music and theater remained central to her life as well; in 1987 she participated in the Grand Prix of Folk Music, and in the 1990s she directed the Bernhard Theater in Zurich, demonstrating leadership as well as performance talent.

Her influence extended into Swiss cultural life when she became President of the Prix Walo in 1998, helping shape and celebrate the country’s entertainment industry. Throughout it all, she maintained a public presence that blended glamour with professionalism.

Her personal life also drew attention. In 1975 she met Swiss football legend Fritz Künzli in a Zurich nightclub; they married in 1985, later divorced, yet remained close companions until his passing in 2019. Their enduring bond reflected the layered complexity of her life beyond headlines.

Monika Kaelin’s Penthouse moment in 1980 captured a woman at the height of her beauty and rising influence — a Miss Switzerland who carried herself with grace, intellect, and ambition.