Flag of Austria
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Flag_of_Austria".

Civil Flag Ratio: 2:3

Flag of the Archduchy of Austria as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

State Flag Ratio: 2:3

The flag of Austria has three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red. Together with the Danish flag, the Austrian flag is said to be among the oldest national flag designs in the world.

History

Duke Friedrich II (1210-1246), the last Babenberg, known as the Quarrelsome or the Warlike, to become more independent from the Holy Roman Empire designed a new coat of arm red-white-red in the year 1230.

Legend

According to legend, the flag was invented by Duke Leopold V of Austria while he was involved in a fierce battle during the Crusades. After the battle, his white battledress was completely drenched in blood, but when he removed his belt the cloth underneath was untouched by it. So taken was he by this singular sight that he adopted the colors and scheme as his banner.

The Post-War Period Silver Coin

The flag in numismatics

The flag has been the main motive of many collector coins, one of the most recent is the 20 euro Post War Period coin, minted in September 17, 2003. The obverse of the coin shows the Austrian coat of arms flanked by the Austrian flag and the European Union flag.

See also

• List of Austrian flags
• Flags of Austrian states
• Coat of Arms of Austria

External links

• Austria at Flags of the World
• The Symbols of Austria