The History and Meaning of the Austrian Flag
The Austrian national flag, or as Austrians say, the Flagge Österreichs, is a stunning three-stripe composition consisting of red, white, and red colors. This flag is not only a symbol of Austrian identity but also one of the world’s oldest national symbols still in use. The first documented use of the flag dates back to 1230 and is deeply rooted in the history of the Babenberg dynasty.
The Austrian constitution does not specify the shades of the flag’s colors, but the generally used color is the Pantone 186 C shade of red.
The Beginnings
The origin of the Austrian flag is linked to the coat of arms of the medieval Babenberg dynasty, which depicted a silver stripe on a red field. Although the precise origin is shrouded in mystery, it was likely first used by the Otakar noble family, the Margrave of Styria, who adopted the colors from the Duke of Carinthia, Adalbert. Margrave Babenberg, Leopold III, was already depicted with a three-striped shield in 1105, which was a precursor to the Austrian flag.
In 1192, when the last Otakar duke died, the Styrian duchy was inherited by Duke Leopold V of the Babenberg dynasty. According to the 18th-century historian Chrysostomus Hanthaler, Leopold V’s grandson, Frederick II, the last Babenberg duke, planned a new red-white-red coat of arms in 1230 to emphasize his autonomy. The tricolor flag was first documented on a charter issued on November 30, 1230. According to the medieval chronicler Jans der Enikel, the duke appeared in a red-white-red ceremonial robe in 1232, further reinforcing the significance of these colors.
The Legend and the History
According to an interesting legend, the flag’s colors were born from Duke Leopold V’s battles during the Siege of Acre. After the battle, his white cloak was completely covered in blood, and when he removed his belt, the fabric underneath remained untouched, revealing the red-white-red combination. He was so impressed by this sight that he adopted this color scheme for his flag. This event was already documented in 1260.
In reality, the war flag of the Holy Roman Empire during the Crusades was a silver cross on a red field, which was very similar to the later Austrian coat of arms. This symbol later appeared on the flag of Vienna, the Austrian capital.
Since Rudolf von Habsburg and the 1283 Rheinfeld Treaty, the red-white-red combination has been widely considered an Austrian color, which was also used by the ruling Habsburg dynasty. However, the black-yellow flag was used as the national flag of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, later the Austrian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, until 1918. These colors were the colors of the Habsburg family and partly originated from the flag of the Holy Roman Empire.
From the reign of Emperor Joseph II, the Austrian, and later the Austro-Hungarian Navy used a naval flag based on red-white-red colors, which was complemented by a shield of similar colors. Both flags became invalid with the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1918, and the newly formed German-Austria adopted the red-white-red tricolor flag as its national flag.
