Historical and old photos of Harstad, Troms and Finnmark

A small historical reference Geography: Harstad (Norwegian) or Hárstták (Northern Sami) is the second-most populated municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is mostly located on the large island of Hinnøya. The municipal center is the town of Harstad, the most populous town in Central Hålogaland, and the third-largest in all of Northern Norway. The town was incorporated in 1904. Villages in the municipality include Elgsnes, Fauskevåg, Gausvik, Grøtavær, Kasfjord, Lundenes, Nergården and Sørvika. The 445-square-kilometre (172 sq mi) municipality is the 227th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Harstad is the 45th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 24,820. The municipality's population density is 57.9 inhabitants per square kilometre (150/sq mi) and its population has increased by 5.1% over the last decade. Date of foundation: 1904 History: Population: 24 827 Sights:
City square, market, between 1927 and 1940	Harstad new savings bank, between 1927 and 1940	Major General Carl Gustav Fleischer statue, City hall, park, between 1945 and 1960	Panorama of city and pier, 1953
Panorama of city street, between 1915 and 1950	Panorama of city street, 1953	Post office and Music pavilion, between 1920 and 1940	Streets crossing, between 1920 and 1950

History

The town of Harstad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1904 when it was separated from the municipality of Trondenes because it had just been declared a ladested. The initial population of the town of Harstad was 1,246. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the town of Harstad (population: 3,808) was merged with neighboring municipalities of Sandtorg (population: 7,512) and Trondenes (population: 6,567) to form a new, larger municipality of Harstad with a population of 17,882. Prior to the merger, the town of Harstad had 3,808 residents. On 1 January 2013, the municipality of Bjarkøy (to the north) was merged with Harstad, forming a new, larger municipality of Harstad. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the new Troms og Finnmark county which replaced the old Troms county.

In recent years, a 3000-year-old bronze axe and a 2600-year-old bronze collar have been found at the Trondenes peninsula, just north of the city center. These, together with the burial cairns built close to the sea, are indications of a well-developed Bronze Age culture in the Harstad area.

There is also substantial archeological evidence of a well-developed Iron Age culture in the area, around 200 AD.

Trondenes is mentioned in the Heimskringla as a power centre in the Viking Age and a place to meet and discuss important issues (Trondarting).

Trondenes Church, the world's northernmost medieval church, which dates back to the 13th–15th century, is situated just outside the town.

Adjacent to the church is the Trondenes Historical Center and nearby is the Adolf Gun, an enormous land-based cannon from World War II, and the last of four cannons originally constructed by the Nazis. Harstad is one of the few towns in this part of Norway which were left largely undamaged by World War II.

Origin: en.wikipedia.org