Thomas Kuhlman

Baroque Nebraska: an Architectural Entertainment Thomas Kuhlman

Somewhere east of Laramie, south of Pierre, west of Ottumwa and north of Wichita lies a city unsurpassed in the magnificence of its baroque architecture. It rivals Paris, Rome, Prague or Habsburg Vienna. This city of Kuhlmannopolis was conceived by the 17th century Silesian visionary, chiliast, heresiarch, charlatan and first Poet Laureate of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Quirinus Kuhlmann, known for writing 1200 heroic couplets in twelve hours and for his invention of one machine for the writing of sonnets and another for the teaching of all knowledge. BAROQUE NEBRASKA not only tells his story but takes the reader on a tour of the architectural wonders of his city. Here are the monuments, churches, palaces, grain elevators and even the glass-walled Central Intelligence Agency building (spying in this society is always straightforward and open). All structures in Kuhlmannopolis are encrusted with gold. The great cathedral basilica, nearly as large as Saint Peter's in Rome, was financed by the proceeds from a bake sale and a car wash. The social clubs of the city are so exclusive that no one has ever applied for membership. Also pictured are some of the world's most opulent railroad stations, from which one may take the trains of the Sioux City, Homer and Southern Electric Railway to Alaska, Chile, or ancient Greece or Rome. If you have been planning a trip to the magical Kuhlmannopolis, this will be your guidebook. If you haven't, reading this book may change your mind, especially if you have been drinking a fine old sherry while listening to Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninov. Then again, it may not.