Flag of Austria
The flag of Austria has three equal horizontal stripes: red, white and red.
At a glance
- Adopted
- May 1, 1945red-white-red was first recorded in 1230 and became the national flag in 1918; it was banned under Nazi rule and brought back in 1945
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Vienna
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- red
- white
What it means
- Red and white stripes: the colours of the old Babenberg coat of arms; the blood-stained tunic of Leopold V is a legend, not proven history
Where it came from
The colours come from the coat of arms of the Babenberg family, who ruled Austria in the Middle Ages: a white (silver) band across a red shield. The oldest record is a seal on a document from 1230, under Duke Frederick II, which makes this one of the oldest national symbols still used today.
A famous legend says Duke Leopold V fought so hard at the Siege of Acre in 1191 that his white tunic was soaked in blood, except for a clean strip under his belt. It is a good story, but historians have found no proof for it.
History
Later the Habsburg emperors ruled Austria, and their empire used a black and yellow flag. When the empire broke up after the First World War in 1918, the new Republic of Austria chose the old red-white-red stripes.
In 1938 Nazi Germany took over Austria, and the Austrian flag was replaced by the German one. It returned on 1 May 1945, when Austria became independent again. The government's state flag adds the national eagle in the middle.
Fun facts
- Austria's colours have been in use since at least 1230, nearly 800 years.
- Austrian law just says "red", without naming an exact shade, so different shades have been used over the years.
- The government's version of the flag has a black eagle holding a hammer and a sickle, with broken chains on its feet.
- The flag is one of the simplest in the world: just two colours in three stripes.
Easy to mix up with
Latvia
Lebanon
PeruQuestions
What does the flag of Austria look like?
The flag of Austria has three equal horizontal stripes: red, white and red.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Austria mean?
Red and white stripes: the colours of the old Babenberg coat of arms; the blood-stained tunic of Leopold V is a legend, not proven history.
When was the flag of Austria adopted?
The current flag of Austria was adopted on May 1, 1945. (red-white-red was first recorded in 1230 and became the national flag in 1918; it was banned under Nazi rule and brought back in 1945)
What colours are on the flag of Austria?
The flag of Austria uses red and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Austria?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Latvia. Latvia uses a darker maroon red and a much thinner white stripe
Famous landmarks in Austria
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)