Finland

With his diligence, perseverance and career choice, Jürgen Polman charted the course that many generations of his family line would follow.

A former military man, Otto Magnus Påhlman turned an asset – his beautiful handwriting – into a career and a legacy.

Otto Fredrik Påhlman’s determination to stand up for what was right and question the existing order earned him more than a few adversaries among the Swedish elite.

A twice-decorated military officer, Göran Påhlman was imprisoned during the Russian-Swedish War but returned home to greater success.

Alongside an illustrious military career that culminated as a decorated colonel, Adolf Fredrik Påhlman was a sympathetic, devout man who lived a well-rounded life.

In the early 17th century, an agitated Jürgen Polman penned a desperate letter to Axel Oxenstierna, the Lord High Chancellor of Sweden, appealing to him and the King for help in a matter regarding his land in Finland.