▁of ▁the ▁wealth iest ▁men ▁in ▁Ber gen . ▁Today ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁state , ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁private ▁owner ▁was ▁Christian ▁Mich elsen , ▁a ▁politician ▁and ▁sh ipping ▁magn ate ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁of ▁Norway ▁after ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁the ▁union ▁between ▁Sweden ▁and ▁Norway . ▁Mich elsen ▁commission ed ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁current ▁main ▁building ▁at ▁Gam le h au gen , ▁where ▁he ▁would ▁live ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁When ▁Mich elsen ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 , ▁his ▁closest ▁friends ▁and ▁colle agues ▁started ▁a ▁national ▁fund - ra ising ▁campaign ▁that ▁brought ▁in ▁enough ▁money ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁state ▁to ▁purchase ▁the ▁property . ▁The ▁large ▁English ▁park ▁was ▁opened ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁and ▁the ▁ground ▁floor ▁of ▁the ▁house ▁was ▁opened ▁as ▁a ▁museum ▁two ▁years ▁later . ▁Gam le h au gen ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁Royal ▁Family ' s ▁residence ▁in ▁Ber gen ▁since ▁ 1 9 2 7 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Gam le h au gen ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁a ▁farm ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁abandoned ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁Black ▁Death . ▁In ▁ 1 6 6 5 , ▁it ▁once ▁again ▁became ▁far ml and , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁F j ø s anger ▁man or . ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 9 , ▁Gam le h au gen