( se, Hárstták) is the second-most populated municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is mostly located on the large island of

Hinnøya Hinnøya is the fourth-largest island in Norway, and the largest outside the Svalbard archipelago. The lies just off the western coast of Northern Norway. The island sits on the border of Nordland and Troms og Finnmark counties. The western pa ...

. The municipal center is the town of Harstad, the most populous town in Central Hålogaland, and the third-largest in all of

Northern Norway Northern Norway ( nb, Nord-Norge, , nn, Nord-Noreg; se, Davvi-Norga) is a geographical Regions of Norway, region of Norway, consisting of the two northernmost counties Nordland and Troms og Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainlan ...

. The town was incorporated in 1904. Villages in the municipality include

Elgsnes Elgsnes is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the northeastern part of the large island of Hinnøya, along the Andfjorden, about northwest of the Harstad (town), town of Harstad and about nor ...

Fauskevåg Fauskevåg is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the island of Hinnøya, along the Vågsfjorden, about south of the town of Harstad. The population (2001) of Fauskevåg is 341. The village ...

Gausvik Gausvik or Gausvika is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is in the northeastern part of the large island of Hinnøya, along the Tjeldsundet Strait, about south of the town of Harstad. The European rout ...

Grøtavær Grøtavær is a coastal fishing village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the western part of the island of Grytøya, along the Andfjorden, about northwest of the village of Lundenes Lundenes is a v ...

Kasfjord Kasfjord is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located at the end of the Kasfjorden on the north side of Hinnøya island, about west of the town of Harstad and about south of the village of ...

Lundenes Lundenes is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Grytøya, along the Vågsfjorden, about north of the town of Harstad. Lundenes Church Lundenes Church ( no ...

Nergården Nergården or Nergård is a village in the northern part of Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village was the administrative centre of the former municipality of Bjarkøy until 2013 when it was merged into Harstad. It ...

and

Sørvik Sørvik or Sørvika is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located along the Vågsfjorden on the island of Hinnøya about south of the town of Harstad Its population (2001) is about 451. The village ...

a. The municipality is the 226th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Harstad is the 49th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 24,804. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 2.9% over the previous 10-year period.

Geography

The municipality is located on many islands in southern Troms og Finnmark county. Most of the municipality is located on the large island of

, which is Norway's largest coastal island (three islands in the

Svalbard Svalbard ( , ), also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range ...

archipelago are larger). The northern part of the municipality is located on the smaller islands of

Grytøya or is an island in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The island lies just north of the large island of Hinnøya and south of the island of Bjarkøya. It is surrounded by the Vågsfjorden in the east and the Andfjorden ...

Bjarkøya Bjarkøya is an island in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The island is located north of the island of Grytøya and northwest of the island of Sandsøya. The Andfjorden lies to the northwest and the Vågsfjorden lies ...

, Sandsøya, Helløya, Flatøya and

Krøttøya Krøttøya is an island in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The island is the northernmost inhabited island in the Andfjorden. It is located in the Meløyvær archipelago, consisting of 365 small islands, with over 20 wh ...

and many even smaller islands between the Andfjorden (to the west) and the Vågsfjorden (to the east). The municipality contains several small islands, including Arnøya,

Gressholman Gressholman or Grasholmen is an island in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is part of a small archipelago of several islets just outside the town of Harstad along the Vågsfjorden, at the northern end of the Tjeldsund ...

, Helløya, Kjeøya, Kjøtta, Kjøttakalven, Flatøya, Meløyvær, Måga, Rogla, Lille Rogla and Åkerøya. Harstad is bordered by the municipality Kvæfjord to the west and Tjeldsund (in

Nordland Nordland (; smj, Nordlánnda, sma, Nordlaante, sme, Nordlánda, en, Northland) is a county in Norway in the Northern Norway region, the least populous of all 11 counties, bordering Troms og Finnmark in the north, Trøndelag in the south, N ...

county) to the south. To the southeast, the

Tjeldsund Bridge The Tjeldsund Bridge ( no, Tjeldsundbrua) is a suspension road bridge that crosses the Tjeldsundet strait between the mainland and the island of Hinnøya in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The bridge is long, the main span is , and the maximum ...

connects Hinnøya with Skånland municipality and the mainland across Tjeldsundet, and to the northeast is the Vågsfjorden, where Harstad shares a water border with

Ibestad Ibestad ( sme, Ivvárstádik) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Central Hålogaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hamnvik. Some of the other larger ...

municipality. The city itself is located on the northeastern part of on Hinnøya; it is the only city on the island, and is popularly known as ''Vågsfjordens perle'' (The pearl of Vågsfjorden). The highest mountain in Harstad is Sætertinden, which is above sea level. It is located near the village of

Sandtorg Sandtorg is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the eastern shore of the large island of Hinnøya, on the shore of the Tjeldsundet. The village is located along the European route E10 highway i ...

in southern Harstad. The tall mountain, Nupen, is located in the northwestern part of the municipality on the border with Kvæfjord.

Climate and light

Despite being located north of the

Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...

, Harstad features either a dry-summer

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...

( Köppen climate classification: Dsc), or the rare

cold-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

( Köppen climate classification: Csc), depending on if the or the isotherm is used. Harstad features relatively mild, wet winters and cool, dry summers. Harstad does not have the brutal winters most locations north of the Arctic Circle experience, and is sheltered from Atlantic gales by mountains in the west, and has the main part of the

Scandinavian Mountains The Scandinavian Mountains or the Scandes is a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula. The western sides of the mountains drop precipitously into the North Sea and Norwegian Sea, forming the fjords of Norway, whereas to the ...

to the east. The city experiences warmer winters than major cities located 25 degrees farther south in latitude such as Beijing, Chicago and Toronto. Summers in Harstad are cool, with average high temperatures seldom breaking the mark. Since the weather station opened August 2002, July 2014 was the warmest month with mean , average daily high and all-time high on 10 July. The record low of was recorded in February 2010. The coldest month recorded was January 2003 with mean and average daily low . The city enjoys the midnight sun during the summer months, from 22 May to 18 July. There is also a period from early May to early August with twilight for a few hours each night as the sun just dips below the horizon, so there is no darkness. The polar night, when the sun is always below the horizon, lasts from 30 November to 12 January. At this time, there are 3–4 hours of dawn and dusk around noon, sometimes with colourful skies towards the south. From late January, the period of daylight rapidly increases, reaching 12 hours by March and 18 hours in April. Harstad is located in the midst of the aurora borealis (a.k.a. ''the northern lights'') zone, and the aurora can often be seen on clear nights, but not in summer due to the continuous daylight.

History

The town of Harstad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1904 when it was separated from the municipality of

Trondenes Trondenes is an old parish and former municipality in Troms county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. It was located along the western shore of the Vågsfjorden in what is now Harstad Municipality. T ...

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

(population: 7,512) and

(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

cairn A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...

s 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''). In 2020 archeologist concluded that

, located along the Tjeldsundet strait, south of Harstad town, was the location of the only known Viking age trading place in Northern Norway. The Tjeldsundet strait was very likely an important ship lane back then as it still is today.

Trondenes Church Trondenes Church ( no, Trondenes kirke) is the northernmost medieval stone church of Norway and the world's northernmost surviving medieval building. It is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark count ...

, 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 Trondenes Historical Center ( no, Trondenes Historiske Senter) is a museum located in Trondenes, in the town of Harstad, in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The museum covers the history of Trondenes and the surrounding areas. The museum displayi ...

and nearby is the

Adolf Gun The 40.6 cm SK C/34,SK - ''Schnelladekanone'' (quick loading cannon); ''C - Construktionsjahr'' (year of design) sometimes known as the Adolfkanone (Adolf gun), was a German naval gun, designed in 1934 by Krupp and originally intended for the ...

, an enormous land-based cannon from World War II, and the last of four cannons originally constructed by the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

. Harstad is one of the few towns in this part of Norway which were left largely undamaged by World War II. Beach at Sandtorg, Harstad municipality, Hinnøya island, Norway. The sea is part of Tjeldsundet strait, between Hinnøya and the mainland.jpg,

, where a trading place from the Viking age was located File:Harstad kulturhus.jpg, Harstad Kulturhus (culture house) File:Richard Kaarbø - Byste.jpg,

Rikard Kaarbø Rikard Olai Kaarbø (22 May 1850 – 3 March 1901) was a Norwegian businessperson and politician. Personal life Rikard Olai Wilhelmsen Kaarbø was born in the parish of Trondenes in Troms, Norway to Wilhelm Olssøn Kaarbø (1811–1876) and ...

was the founder of Harstad. File:Harstad Kirche von Trondenes.jpg,

at Trondenes. File:Harstad at night seen from Gangsåstoppen.jpg, Northern part of Harstad at night, early August. View towards north-west from Gangsåstoppen

Origin of the name

The municipality is named after the old ''Harstad'' farm ( non, Harðarstaðir), since it is built on its ground. The first element is (probably) the

genitive case In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...

of the male name ''Hǫrðr'', and the last element is ''staðir'' which means " homestead" or " farm".

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 24 April 1953. The arms are blue with two silver-white wavy lines. The blue background symbolizes the sea and the silvery white lines represent waves.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Harstad, are responsible for

primary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient

health services Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wiktionary:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physical and menta ...

, senior citizen services, unemployment and other

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor. The municipality falls under the

Trondenes District Court Trondenes District Court ( no, Trondenes tingrett) was a district court located in the town of Harstad in Troms county, Norway. The court served the southwestern part of the county which included the municipalities of Harstad, Kvæfjord, Skånla ...

and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Harstad is made up of 35 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Economy

The oil industry of North Norway is centered in Harstad; including

Statoil Equinor ASA (formerly Statoil and StatoilHydro) is a Norwegian state owned enterprise, state-owned multinational energy company headquartered in Stavanger. It is primarily a petroleum company, petroleum company, operating in 36 countries with ad ...

's main office for a new operational area for Northern Norway, the DNV office for Northern Norway, as well as other regional offices including TotalEnergies,

Det Norske Oljeselskap ASA Aker BP ASA is a Norwegian oil exploration and development company focusing petroleum resources on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. It is present all over Norway. The headquarters are in Fornebu with additional offices in Trondheim, Stavanger an ...

and

Aibel Aibel is a service company within the oil, gas and offshore wind industries. The company provides engineering, construction, modifications and maintenance through a project's life cycle. About Aibel Aibel has more than 4000 employees who des ...

. Harstad also has shipyards and other industries that are important for the economy. Harstad and the surrounding area have traditionally been among the most productive agricultural regions in Northern Norway,. The old seabed, now dry land due to isostatic rebound (up to above sea level), creating fertile soil that is well-suited for farming. Skjærstad Harstad Wilse 35840

Institutions and culture

The city hosts the annual week-long ''

Festival of North Norway The Arctic Arts Festival ( no, Festspillene i Nord-Norge) is a festival based in Harstad, Norway. It was first held in 1965, and consists of music, theatre and art performances. The festival lasts one week and is held in June. The Arctic Arts Fes ...

'' in June. It is also the home of the Arctic Moving Image and Film Festival, held in October each year. Harstad University College, with approximately 1,100 students, has a thriving foreign exchange program with students from all over the world. The hospital in Harstad is part of the

University Hospital of North Norway The University Hospital of North Norway ( no, Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge) or UNN is a hospital and health trust. UNN is a university hospital for the region which includes the counties of Nordland, Troms and Finnmark. It is part of the Nort ...

. The most successful local

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team is

Harstad Idrettslag ( se, Hárstták) 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 Hålogalan ...

(a.k.a. HIL), and the most successful basketball team is the

Harstad Vikings Harstad Vikings was a Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The ...

. Harstad is home port for the '' Anna Rogde'', the world's oldest sailing

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

, also known as ''the sailing queen of Norway''.

Harstad Camping Harstad Camping is a campgrounds in the municipality of Harstad in Troms county, Norway. It is located just east of Kanebogen Kanebogen is part of the town of Harstad within Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is located about so ...

is a campsite located in the municipality.

Churches

The

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...

has five parishes () within the municipality of Harstad. It is part of the

Trondenes prosti Trondenes is an old parish and former municipality in Troms county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. It was located along the western shore of the Vågsfjorden in what is now Harstad Municipality. T ...

(

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...

) in the

Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland Nord-Hålogaland ( no, Nord-Hålogaland bispedømme) is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers the Church of Norway churches in Troms og Finnmark county as well as in the territory of Svalbard. The diocese is seated in the city of Tromsø ...

Military connections

Harstad traditionally has strong ties with the Norwegian Armed Forces. Kystjegerkommandoen (Coastal Ranger Command) has its home base at Trondenes, Harstad. Marinejegerkommandoen is based in Ramsund in Tjeldsund on the mainland south of Harstad. General Carl Gustav Fleischer led the field operations of the Norwegian Armed Forces in WW2, among them the 7,500 soldiers which from the north pushed the Nazi Germans back to Narvik and participated in retaking Narvik on 28 May 1940. A street in Harstad is named ''Gen. Fleischers Gate'' in his honour. Operation Judgement, Kilbotn took place on 4 May 1945, when the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy attacked a U-boat base at Kilbotn, a village in the Harstad district, sinking two ships and a U-boat. Harstad is also the hometown of the Norwegian army band "Forsvarets Musikkorps Nord Norge" with professional musicians.

Transportation

The towns airport is Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes, located on the mainland, by road from the town center. The airport offers daily flights to Oslo, Trondheim,

Bodø Bodø (; smj, Bådåddjo, sv, Bodö) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Bodø (which is also the capital of Nordland count ...

, Tromsø and Andenes. Every morning a northbound and a southbound Hurtigruten ship stop in Harstad. High-speed craft regularly go between Harstad and Tromsø, Finnsnes,

Senja or is an island in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway, Europe. With an area of , it is the second largest island in Norway (outside of the Svalbard archipelago). It has a wild, mountainous outer (western) side facing the Atlantic, and a mild ...

and other places. There are several ferries and buses in the district, and in Harstad there are local buses. The leading helicopter company in Northern Norway, Heli-Team, is located in Harstad.

Local areas

;Villages north/west of the city

Alvestad Alvestad is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Anton Ludvig Alvestad (1883–1956), Norwegian politician and government minister * Olaus Alvestad (1866–1903), Norwegian educator and newspaper editor * Per Olav Alvestad Per i ...

, Aune,

, Ervik,

, Hagan,

, Kilhus, Kjøtta,

, Mustaparta,

, Røkenes,

Steinnes Steinnes () is a rock point on the southeast shore of Prydz Bay, about 4 nautical miles (7 km) east-northeast of Larsemann Hills. First mapped from air photographs by the Lars Christensen Expedition Lars is a common male name in Scandinavian ...

, Stornes, Storvassbotn, Sørlia, Tennvassåsen, Tømmeråsen, Undlandet, Vika and Årnes. ;City neighbourhoods Bergseng, Blåbærhaugen, Breivika, City Center, Eineberget,

Gangsås Gangsås or Gansås is a part of the town of Harstad within Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is situated on the southern and western sides of a small peninsula southeast of the city center. The main neighbourhoods are ''Vollen'' ...

Grønnebakkan Grønnebakkan is part of the town of Harstad within Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is located about south of the city centre, just south of Gangsåsbotn, west of Kanebogen, east of Harstadbotn, and southeast of Seljestad. ...

, Harstadbotn, Harstadåsen,

Heggen Heggen is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Almar Heggen (1933–2014), Norwegian opera singer * Belinda Heggen, Australian journalist * Joan Heggen, American mayor * Tamara Heggen (born 1976), Australian figure skater *Thomas H ...

, Holtet,

Kanebogen Kanebogen is part of the town of Harstad within Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is located about south of the city center. Kanebogen borders the neighborhoods of Gangsås to the north, Stangnes to the northeast, Medkila to the ...

Kilbotn Kilbotn is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located about south of the center of the town of Harstad, along the Vågsfjorden on the east side of Hinnøya island. The villages of Fauskevåg a ...

Medkila Medkila is part of the town of Harstad within Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It's located south of the neighborhood of Kanebogen and north of the neighborhood of Holtet, about south of the city center.Sama Sama or SAMA may refer to: Places * Sama, Burkina Faso, a town in the Kouka Department, Banwa Province, Burkina Faso * Sama, China (Sanya), a city in Hainan, China * Sama, Chalus, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran * Sama, Nowshahr, a vil ...

, Seljestad, Skaret,

Stangnes Stangnes is part of the town of Harstad within Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is located on a small peninsula southeast of the city center, on the south and east sides of the ''Gansåsen'' hill. The neighborhood is bordered by ...

and

Åsby Åsby is a locality situated in Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenU ...

. ;Villages south of the city Brokvik,

, Halsebø, Haukebø, Melvik, Nordvik,

and Sørvika. File:Harstad fra Eineberget.jpg, Northeastern part of Harstad seen from Eineberget; 4 May 2008 File:Andørja sett fra Harstad.jpg, View from Harstad towards the Vågsfjord and Andørja island; May 2008 File:Hogskolen i Harstad pano.jpg, Harstad university college

Notable residents

Public Service

Gerd Kristiansen Folkets hus 2017 (155149)

Andrew V. Stoltenberg Andrew Vincent Stoltenberg (January 26, 1865 – December 25, 1921) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Philippine–American War. Biography Andrew Vincent Stoltenberg was born in Aarnes ...

(1865 in Aarnes – 1921) a US Navy recipient of the Medal of Honor *

Hans Egede Hans Poulsen Egede (31 January 1686 – 5 November 1758) was a Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary who launched mission efforts to Greenland, which led him to be styled the Apostle of Greenland. He established a successful mission among the Inui ...

(1686–1758) a Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary, the ''Apostle of Greenland'' * Anders Holte (1849 in Oldra – 1937) a Norwegian sea captain and navigator *

(1850–1901) businessman and politician, established the town of Harstad *

John Bernhard Rekstad John Bernhard Rekstad (October 2, 1852 – April 1, 1934) was a Norwegians, Norwegian geologist. Biography Rekstad was born in Trondenes in Troms Counties of Norway, county, Norway. He took his teaching exams in 1887 and then taught at high schoo ...

(1852 in Trondenes – 1934) a geologist and amateur photographer *

Erland Frisvold Erland Frisvold (May 13, 1877 – August 22, 1971) was a Norwegian colonel, civil engineer, and mayor of Harstad. Frisvold was born at the farm Kjæstad in Lom, Norway, the eldest child of Pål Erlandsson Frisvold (1846–1912) and Anne Rolvsdotte ...

(1877–1971) a Norwegian colonel, civil engineer and Mayor of Harstad *

Paal Frisvold Paal Frisvold (born 5 May 1962) is a Norwegian organizational leader and retired fencer. He competed in the team épée event at the 1984 Summer Olympics. In 2009 he was elected as the new leader of the European Movement in Norway, succeedi ...

(1908–1997) a Norwegian general, head of the Norwegian Army 1961 to 1966 *

Sverre Holm Sverre Holm Gundersen (24 July 1931 – 17 March 2005) was a Norwegian stage and film actor. He is probably best known for playing "Benny" in the Olsenbanden-movies (1969–1999), and as station master O. Tidemann the Norwegian children's progr ...

(1910–1996) a librarian, novelist, resistance member and sociologist *

Bjarne Berg-Sæther Bjarne Berg-Sæther (14 April 1919 – 5 August 2009) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. Early life He was born in Tjeldsund as the son of coastal pilot Berg Sæther (1876–1948) and wife Magna Toresen (1881–1952). He was edu ...

(1919–2009) Mayor of Harstad 1963 to 1967 & county mayor *

Hanna Kvanmo Hanna Kristine Kvanmo (June 14, 1926 – June 23, 2005) was a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party. She served as a Member of Parliament from 1973 to 1989, representing the county of Nordland, as the first parliamentary leader of the ...

(1926–2005) a controversial Norwegian politician; convicted for treason after WWII and later a member of the

Norwegian Nobel Committee The Norwegian Nobel Committee ( no, Den norske Nobelkomité) selects the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize each year on behalf of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel's estate, based on instructions of Nobel's will. Five members are appointed by ...

Ola Heide Ola Mikal Heide (born 26 April 1931) is a Norwegian botanist. He was born in Trondenes. He graduated from the Norwegian College of Agriculture in 1961, and took the dr.agric. degree in 1967 with the thesis ''Studies on the Control of Regeneration ...

(born 1931 in Trondenes) a Norwegian botanist. *

Leif Arne Heløe Leif Arne Heløe (born 8 August 1932) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. He was the Norwegian Minister of Social Affairs from 1981-1986. He also served as the County Governor of Troms county from 1991 until 2000. Accessed on ...

(born 1932) a Norwegian politician & former Minister of Social Affairs *

Pål Spilling Pål Spilling (October 29, 1934 – January 16, 2018) was a Norwegian Internet pioneer and professor at the University of Oslo and the UNIK Graduate Center at Kjeller in Norway. He obtained his cand.real. degree in physics from the University of ...

(1934–2018) a Norwegian Internet pioneer and academic *

Ola M. Steinholt Ola Markus Steinholt (4 October 1934—20 April 2009) was a Norwegian bishop in the Church of Norway. He was born in Trondenes, Norway in 1934. He graduated from the University of Oslo with the cand.theol. degree in 1959. He was a parish ...

(1934—2009) a Norwegian bishop of the

Unni Wikan Unni Wikan (born 18 November 1944) is professor of social anthropology at the University of Oslo, Norway. She has served as visiting professor at the University of Chicago (2011), Harvard University (1999–2000), Goethe University, Frankfurt (200 ...

(born 1944), professor of social anthropology * Gerd Kristiansen (born 1955) a licensed practical nurse and leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions from 2013 to 2017 *

Kristin Clemet Kristin Clemet (born 20 April 1957, in Harstad) is a Norwegian politician for Høyre, Norway's Conservative Party. She was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Oslo in 1989, but was not re-elected in 1993. She had previously served as a deput ...

(born 1957) a Norwegian politician & former Minister of Education *

Elisabeth Aspaker Elisabeth Aspaker (born 16 October 1962) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party and she is the current county governor of Troms og Finnmark county. She was also the Minister of European Affairs from 2015-2016 and Minister for Nor ...

(born 1962) a Norwegian politician & former Minister of Fisheries * Jon Lech Johansen (born 1983) also known as ''DVD Jon'', a Norwegian computer programmer *

Silje Lundberg Silje Ask Lundberg (born 13 April 1988 in Oslo) is a Norwegian environmentalist and chairman of Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature (Friends of the Earth Norway). She is a former leader of Nature and Youth. She grew up in Harstad in ...

(born 1988) a Norwegian environmentalist, grew up in Harstad Ragnhild Kaarbo

The Arts

Ragnhild Kaarbø Ragnhild Kaarbø (26 December 1889 – 20 August 1949) was a Norwegian painter. Personal life She was born at Harstad in Troms, Norway. She was one of thirteen children born to Rikard Kaarbø and Anna Elisabeth Lund. Her father was a succes ...

(1889–1949) a Norwegian painter * Knut Andersen (1931-2019) film director *

Reidar Thomassen Reidar Thomassen (18 June 1936 – 13 February 2024), known by the pseudonym Richard Macker, was a Norwegian writer. Biography Reidar Thomassen was born in Harstad as a son of Lieutenant Colonel Haakon Ivar Thomassen (1895–1982) and nurse Edi ...

(born 1936) a Norwegian writer and javelin thrower *

Jan Høiland Jan Høiland (6 February 1939, Stavanger, Norway – 7 June 2017, Sweden) was a Norwegian singer, who lived for many years in Harstad. The song "Tiotusen röda rosor" by Thore Skogman was Høiland's biggest hit. He scored several VG lista, chart s ...

(1939–2017) a Norwegian pop singer, who lived for many years in Harstad *

Odd Børre Odd Børre Sørensen (born 9 August 1939, in Harstad) is a former Norwegian pop singer. He was better known by his stage name of Odd Børre. Internationally, he is best known for the song "Stress" that he performed in the Eurovision Song Contest ...

(born 1939) a former pop singer, sang at the

1968 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 1968 was the 13th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in London, United Kingdom, following the country's first victory at the with the song " Puppet on a String" by Sandie Shaw. Despite hav ...

Leif Erik Forberg Leif Erik Forberg (born September 29, 1950) is a Norwegian television presenter with a long career in both TV and radio. Forberg has served as a presenter for NRK, TVNorge, TV3, P4, and Kanal24. In the 1990s he was known as the presenter for the ...

(born 1950) a Norwegian television and radio presenter *

Kine Hellebust Kine Hellebust (born 15 December 1954 in Harstad) is a Norwegian singer, actress, children's writer, non-fiction writer and playwright. Hellebust was assigned with the Hålogaland Teater from 1976 to 1977, and again from 1984 to 1987. From 1978 ...

(born 1954) a singer, actress, children's writer and playwright * Ketil Stokkan (born 1956) a pop singer, sang at the

1986 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 1986 was the 31st edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in Bergen, Norway, following the country's victory at the with the song "La det swinge" by Bobbysocks! Organised by the European Broadcastin ...

Iren Reppen Iren Reppen (born 19 December 1965) is a Norwegian actress. She graduated from Norwegian National Academy of Theatre in 1990. Her debut was in the play «Romeo and Juliet» ved Trøndelag Teater in 1990. She has since worked at Det Norske Teatret ...

(born 1965) a Norwegian actress *

Bodil Arnesen Bodil Victoria Arnesen (19 April 1967 in Harstad) is a Norwegian operatic soprano who studied music in Stavanger and Munich. Arnesen has had opera and concert engagements in Europe, USA and Asia and has recorded several albums. She has been awarde ...

(born 1967) a Norwegian operatic soprano *

Kari Innerå Kari Innerå (born April 14, 1982 in Harstad) is a Norwegian gourmet chef who has won the Nordic Culinary Championships and the Culinary Olympics. Innerå is known for her restaurant Cru vin & kjøkken which she established in 2008 together wit ...

(born 1982) a Norwegian gourmet chef *

Iselin Steiro Iselin Vollen Steiro (born 15 September 1985) is a Norwegian model. Career She grew up in Harstad in the northern part of Norway, and began her fashion career in 2003 by working for Prada and Calvin Klein in her first season. In 2004, she mo ...

(born 1985) a Norwegian model * Sophie Elise, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1994), blogger and singer *

Ruben Markussen Ruben Markussen (born 23 March 1995), known mononymously as Ruben, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. He grew up in Bjarkøy, a small village of 300 inhabitants in Harstad, northern Norway. His debut single "Walls" charted in Norway on the basis ...

(born 1995) a Norwegian singer / songwriter; grew up in Bjarkøy * Thea Floer Kulseng, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 2003), winner of Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2015

Sport

Trygve Bornø Trygve Bornø (born 2 February 1942) is a retired Norwegian international footballer. Active career His career began in Harstad IL, but he made his name with Skeid where he played 419 matches between 1964 and 1978. VG awarded him the Player ...

(born 1942) a retired footballer with 419 club caps and 43 for Norway * Knut Frostad (born 1967) a yachtsman, competed in the

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

Marianne Paulsen Marianne Paulsen (born 20 May 1980) is a Norwegian football defender that played for Trondheims-Ørn until she retired from football at the end of 2007. She played at right-back in Norway's team at the UEFA Women's Euro 2005 The 2005 UEFA Women ...

(born 1980) a Norwegian football defender * Tom Høgli (born 1984) a former football defender with 300 club caps and 49 for Norway *

Eirik Lamøy Eirik André Lamøy (born 7 November 1984) is a Norwegian professional football striker who last played for Sandefjord. Career He started his career at Harstad, and joined Tromsdalen Tromsdalen ( sme, Romssavággi Sálašvággi) is an urba ...

(born 1984) a Norwegian football striker with 300 club caps

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

The twin towns of Harstad are: Choose ''English > Political info > Friendship cities'' * Elsinore in Denmark * Kirovsk, Murmansk Oblast in Russia * Umeå in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

* Vaasa in Finland