Die Weltmaschine

From: Jürgen Hubert

Proving yet again that Bavarian Public Radio has a direct connection to the Bavarian Illuminati or similar "in the know" people, I heard about this tidbit on the radio:

http://www.weltmaschine.at

The site is in German only, so here is the gist of it:

Basically, an obscure Austrian farmer named Franz Gsellmann had an idea for some sort of machine in 1957, but he's missing the inspiration for the basic structure. He gets that one year later, when he sees a picture of the Atomium in Bruessels. He goes there (Belgium! Where else?), and notes down the structure and measurements. When he gets back home, he starts working on his machine in a room in his farm.

gsellmann.jpg

And he keeps on doing that for 23 years. In the first eight years, he tells nobody what he is working on, and allows no one to enter the room. He scrounges parts from flea markets, and custom orders or constructs other parts himself. Some parts come from as far as Japan, America, and Persia (the latter is some sort of weird cup that revolves when the machine is running and is flanked by a small model of the Atomium and a crown that shines golden…). Nobody was allowed to watch him work. He neclects the farm, forcing his family to do his share of farmwork. He feels misunderstood by his neighbors.

In 1981, he declares the machine to be "completed" - and dies soon afterwards. Now the monstrosity is several meters wide, and fills a good part of a room. When it is started, many parts revolve, and an odd music is played.

His family keeps the thing intact and running for tourist revenue.

So, what is this thing really about? What does it summon? What malevolent influences have been unleashed on this planet? And why hasn't a DG cell shown up with explosives yet?

Your thoughts?


From: "Mark McFadden"

Wow, when you get Tales of Terror that can stand on their own two feet without any help from the radio, you are living in HPL country. I think Fritz Leiber wrote this one already, in 'The Dealings of Daniel Kesserich,' but I don't see that as any reason to think all of the possibilities have been used up.

BTW, for those of you from countries that reflexively ignore things that don't happen within their own borders or in their own language, the Atomium is an astonishing building, the sort of thing that Brasilia is populated with. The official web site is at www.atomium.be , and offers pages in French and English as well as something called "NL." Not-language? I swear, those Euros have a different word for *everything*. ;-)

The first thing you might notice on the Photo Album page is that the generally cubish shape of the Atomium lays out like a Qabbala Tree of Life when presented as a 2D menu. Note the bizarre provenance: the original idea came from American advertising. [lightning flashes, horses whinny]. If that doesn't get a few sphincters snapping shut, I don't know what will.

Also, if you use the Atomium as the apex, and then extend lines from the Atomium to Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo and Brasilia, you can claim any damn thing you want because no one is going to get up and start plunging rods through their expensive globe to check your assertions. Just rest assured that Euro Disney is a Potemkin village and diversion. C'mon, who could be serious about putting an attraction famous for smiling hospitality and graciously attending to the inexplicable needs of tourists in France? Hell-o?

Notice that the original Expo park that was the setting of the Atomium was divided into *three* zones dedicated to Spring, Summer, and Autumn. What did they have against Winter? Still pissed at the King and Queen of Bohemia? Look up "Winter King" or "Winter Queen" sometime, then look into 'A Winter's Tale' by Will S. Amazing some of the things you can find at the "seacoast of Bohemia," which I believe is defended by the Swiss Navy.

In a bizarre Stanislavski moment, I once played a white bear in a production of 'A Winter's Tale' since Camillo wouldn't be needed for a bit, and a bear was required to menace a bundled baby on the seacoast of Bohemia. The only bear costume on hand was in a locker with four south facing sides, so guess which color it was. Now, anyone that has studied The Method wil eventually encounter Stanislavki's koan concerning pure acting. Ahem. Acting consists of not thinking about a white bear. He got it from from a folk saying.
So, there I was, earnestly *being* a white bear on the seacoast of Bohemia. Uh, that's *being* something that you aren't supposed to think about while at an impossible location that cannot exist. Hat trick!
Since a polar bear was being exhibited in London at the time of the first production of AWT, it might have been historically accurate.

Anyhow, the Atomium is an interesting building. It's right on the edge of the Trade Market, isn't it?

I wonder what the guy thought a smaller, moving Atomium would do?


From: Jürgen Hubert

And _I_ am still wondering about that revolving Persian cup. Some sort of grail replica?


From: "Mark McFadden"

Were there any elements that resembled a sword, or a wooden staff, or a pentacle on a plate? How about a rock, some scissors, and some paper? Earth, Wind and Fire? Blood, Sweat and Tears?

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