von der Pahlen (Russian: Пален, Palen) is a noble Estonian, Russian, Lithuanian and Swedish family of Baltic German origin. The family probably originated from Pomerania but in the beginning of 15th century moved to Livonia. The first historical account of this family dates to 1290 when Johannes de Pala was Vogt at Turaida.
On 18 September 1679 Charles XI of Sweden granted a barony to five brothers of the family and all their descendants. In 1799 , Emperor Paul I of Russia gave Peter Ludwig von der Pahlen and all his descendants the count rank. By the decision of Russian Empire of 1755 and 1865, most of the other members of Pahlen received the baronial rank Russian. Members of the branches with Russian baronial titles also live in Sweden, and form part of the unintroduced nobility.
Among the notable members of the family:
I'm counting up the tolls
That I have paid for living my life
I'm patchin up the holes
Being gouged by this mass condemnation
But I won't be responsible for the things they've said and done
And I won't be responsible for any battles lost or won
Every person in this world can drop dead except for you
Every person in this world is on their side but you
And wherever you may go
I will go
I've come in from the cold
And I'm so glad that I've found my home
I'm keepin all I hold
It's not often that you get the things you've asked for
But you can't be responsible for the things they'll take away
I won't be opposable
Don't want to fight for every day
The questions you ask me have answers
Plain and clear
I will go and leave forever on the day
They find the boy who loves you half as much as I do
And until that day I will remain and never go away
But I can't be responsible for all the things they've done to you
They won't be held accountable and there's nothing you can do
They depend on the truth
Every person in this world can drop dead except for you
Every person in this world is on their side but you
And wherever you may go