Simon Louis du Ry


Simon Louis du Ry was a classical architect.

Biography

Simon Louis du Ry was the son of the Huguenot architect Charles du Ry and grandson of Paul du Ry of Kassel. He was from a French refugee family, who after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV had to leave France and went to Hessen under Landgrave Charles. After beginning studies in Stockholm, Sweden 1746–48 he was disappointed in his teacher Carl Hårleman and left for Paris to attend the architectural school of Jacques-François Blondel in 1748–52. After further educational trips in France and to Italy he returned to Kassel, Germany and became chief architect on the court after the death of this father. In 1766 he was installed as professor architectura civilis at the Collegium Carolinum in Kassel.
Under Frederic of Hessen he was responsible for the transformation of the old and partly destroyed town of Kassel into a modern capital. The Königsplatz and the Friedrichsplatz remain the main squares in Kassel.

Works

Simon Louis du Ry designed and executed many castles and palaces including: