Bjarkøy Church


Bjarkøy Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located in the village of Nergården on the island of Bjarkøya. It is one of the churches for the Bjarkøy og Sandsøy parish which is part of the Trondenes prosti in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland. The white, wooden church was built in a cruciform style in 1766 by an unknown architect. The church seats about 350 people.

History

The first church on Bjarkøya was likely built in the 1200s. It was named in existing historical records in 1309 and again in the late 1300s as an existing church. The location of the church is unknown, but the leading theory is that it was in Øvergård, a short distance southwest of the present church building. Tradition states that the church stood until some time in the 1800s. In the 1880s, it was decided to close the nearby Sandsøy Church and move that building to Bjarkøya. The wooden Sandsøy Church was originally built in 1766 on the island of Sandsøya. In 1885-1886, that church was disassembled and moved to the Nergården area on the island of Bjarkøya. It became known as Bjarkøy Church after it was moved. That church still stands.