Bjarkøy


Bjarkøy is a former municipality in Troms county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until it was merged with Harstad Municipality on 1 January 2013. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Nergården on the island of Bjarkøya. The island municipality was spread across several islands: Bjarkøya, Sandsøya, Grytøya, Krøttøya, and many smaller ones. Originally, the municipality also included the southwestern part of the large island of Senja.
One of the reasons why Bjarkøy merged with Harstad in 2013 was due to the promised funding of the Bjarkøy Fixed Link project. It would link the main islands of Bjarkøy together with a bridge and undersea road tunnel enabling residents to drive further which would drastically shorten the ferry ride to Harstad.

General information

The prestegjeld of Sand was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. The name was later changed to Bjarkøy. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the southernmost part of the island of Senja and the Lemmingsvær island was transferred from Bjarkøy to Tranøy Municipality. On 1 January 2013, Bjarkøy Municipality was merged with Harstad Municipality to the south, forming a new, larger municipality called Harstad.

Name

The municipality was named after the island of Bjarkøya. The first element is the genitive case of bjørk which means "birch" and the last element is øy which means "island"..
Prior to 1887, the municipality was called Sand after the name of the church site on the nearby island of Sandsøya. In 1887, the church was moved to the island of Bjarkøya, so the municipal name was changed to Bjarkø. More recent spelling reforms have it spelled Bjarkøy.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms were from modern times; they were granted on 11 April 1986. The arms showed a golden griffin on a blue background. They were derived from the arms of the Bjarkøy dynasty, one of the most influential families in the northern part of Norway. The griffin was already used in the seal and arms of the family in the late 13th century. The arms of Bjarkøy were retired after the merger in 2013 since Harstad retained its old coat of arms after the merger.

Churches

The Church of Norway had one parish ' within the municipality of Bjarkøy. It was part of the Trondenes prosti in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.
Parish 'Church NameLocation of the ChurchYear Built
Bjarkøy og SandsøyBjarkøy ChurchNergården1766
Bjarkøy og SandsøySandsøy ChurchSandsøya1888

History

This is old Viking territory, and it was a chieftain seat during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. Among the more famous chieftains you find Thorir Hund, who killed Norway's Patron Saint, Saint Olav in the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030. In 1323, the chieftain seat was raided and burned by Karelian warriors.

Geography

The municipality of Bjarkøy was located entirely on islands. The largest island, Grytøya, was shared with the municipality of Harstad. Other islands included Bjarkøya, Sandsøya, Helløya, Flatøya, and Meløyvær. The Andfjorden flowed along the northern and western side of the municipality and the Vågsfjorden flowed on the eastern and southern sides of the municipality.

Climate

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Bjarkøy, are responsible for primary education, outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elects a mayor.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Bjarkøy was made up of 13 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

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