Photo: Aulestad
In Mother’s House – Karoline Bjørnson
Every day during summer season and weekends in September
All day
2025 is Karoline’s year at Aulestad. In the café in the Drengestua building, you can see an exhibition featuring both well-known and previously unknown photographs.
Karoline was the city girl from the coastal town of Bergen who ended up in the rural village of Follebu. She was her husband’s secretary, editor, travel planner, and bookkeeper. She also learned the art of being a farmer’s wife. She was a deeply loved and dedicated mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Mother's house was the name they used for the main house at Aulestad, as Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson had plans to build a large new house in the dragon style on the flat land below Aulestad. The house was designed by architect Gegerfelt but was never built. Still, the family continued to refer to the main house at Aulestad as Mother’s House. This probably also reflects Karoline’s central role at Aulestad. She was the one who decorated the house and made sure it had the veranda that stretches around it. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson compared it to Karoline’s arms, embracing the house.
Foto: Wilse, Anders Beer / Aulestad
