WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT PALSGAARD

From Palsgaard's forests to the ice fields of the South Pole

In the early 1900s, Palsgaard was owned by Baron Fritz Wedel Jarlsberg, a Norwegian diplomat, landowner and friend of many of the most influential figures of the time. Among his guests was the young explorer Roald Amundsen, who was preparing the greatest challenge of his life – to become the first person to reach the South Pole.

At Palsgaard, Amundsen was given access to the baron's private park and forests. Here, he carefully selected ash trees, known for their toughness and lightness. The wood was used to craft supplies crates for his sledges — crates that had to withstand the freezing cold, be transported thousands of kilometers over the ice, and be light enough for sled dogs to pull.

The materials from Palsgaard "lived up to their promise", as Amundsen later remarked. In 1911, he became the first person to set foot on the South Pole – with supply crates made from ash trees harvested from Palsgaard's forests.