| Sandtorg herad | |
|---|---|
| — Former Municipality — | |
| Sandtorg church | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Troms |
| District | Hålogaland |
| Municipality ID | NO-1912 |
| Adm. Center | Sandtorg |
| Area[1] 1 | |
| • Total | 177 km2 (68.3 sq mi) |
| Created from | Trondenes in 1926 |
| Merged into | Harstad in 1964 |
Sandtorg is a village and a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. It is located in the southern part of the present-day municipality of Harstad. A large feature of Sandtorg is also the mountain Sætertind, which is 1,095 metres (3,593 ft) high and located at . Sandtorg municipality covered the eastern part of the island of Hinnøya as well as some smaller islands in the Vågsfjorden.
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The municipality is named after the old Sandtorg farm (Old Norse: Sandþorghom). The first element comes from the word sandr which means "sandy area", and the second element means "square". The name was frequently used for farms where there was a marketplace.[1][2]
From the early 13th century there was a trading post at Sandtorgholmen. This location became more important in the late 18th century when pilot services were added for foreign and local ships. The trading post continued to be a focal point of Sandtorg until 1945 when the Norwegian Army's communication services took over the facilities after the German occupation (1940–1945). The army returned Sandtorgholmen to civilian use in the 1990s. Today the Sandtorgholmen trading post features a hotel with a harbor restaurant and meeting facilities.
The municipality was established on 1 July 1926, when it was split from Trondenes. At that time, Sandtorg had a population of 4,224. On 1 January 1964, Sandtorg was merged into the neighboring municipality of Harstad along with Trondenes. Prior to the merger, Sandtorg had a population of 7,512.[3]
A significant modern leader of Sandtorg was Bjarne Berg-Sæther(born 1919). He was the mayor from 1948 until 1964. He was also the first mayor of the combined city of Trondernes, Sandtorg, and Harstad, which occurred in 1964 (and therefore also the last mayor of Sandtorg). During his 20 years after World War II, boat building factories at Rødskjæret were added, lighted ski tracks, and a community cultural house was built. Many of these additions caused Sandtorg's population to almost double. Today, Sandtorg is a community in transition from farming, fishing, and meat production to a commuter community with a significant part of the population working in Harstad about 37 kilometres (23 mi) away.