The town of Harstad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1904 when it was separated from the municipality of Trondenes. The initial population of the town of Harstad was 1,246. On 1 January 1964, the municipalities of Sandtorg, Trondenes, and Harstad were merged to form a new, combined municipality with a population of 17,882. Prior to the merger, Harstad had 3,808 residents. On 1 January 2013, the municipality of Bjark�y (to the north) is scheduled to merge with Harstad. The new municipality will continue to be named Harstad.
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 of the name
The city is most likely named after the old Harstad farm (Old Norse: Har�arsta�ir), since it is built on its ground. The first element is (probably) the genitive case of the male name H�r�r, and the last element is sta�ir which means "homestead" or "farm".
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times and were granted on 24 April 1953. The blue background
