2:3, by Željko Heimer
Last modified: 2006-01-14 by marcus schmöger
Keywords: austria | oesterreich | blood | hammer and sickle | eagle (black) | shackle | chain |
crown: mural (yellow) | legend | federal service flag | civil ensign | war ensign | national flag |
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2:3, by Željko Heimer
Horizontal triband of red-white-red. There is no prescription on the ratio of this flag for civil
use (i.e., on land, maybe the 1981 regulations of the sea flags determine the civil ensign ratio).
Željko Heimer, 20 February 2001
Shade of red used is medium red: RGB: 255-0-0
Željko Heimer, 29 June 2002
The ratio 2:3 is not formally defined. In 1984 the lawmakers could not
be talked into regulating the ratio of the civil flag - they argued that "a
wealth of formats would enhance adherence to the flag." The 2:3 ratio of
the state flag, put into effect by the arms and flag act of
1984, now has a benign influence, i.e., it is creating some tendency toward this
format and thus to some order.
Peter Diem, 16 August 2002
Recently I got a little guide about the main church at Braunau
(Upper Austria). The title shows a photo (presumably around 1970) with several
flags interesting enough to share it with you. In the foreground: an Austrian national flag (horizontal format),
proportion about 1:3 up to 2:7.
Marcus Schmöger, 2 June 2004
The flag was not used after the Anschluß, or the unification with Nazi Germany in 1938, but was restored
with independence in 1945.
Steven Shea, 26 April 1996
See also:
External links:
![[State Flag of Austria]](../images/a/at_state.gif) |
![[State Flag of Austria]](../images/a/at_govt.gif) |
2:3, by Željko Heimer |
2:3, by Peter Diem |
The ratio shown here (2:3) was formally adopted
in 1984. The type of eagle on the flag drawn by Željko Heimer is that used by
the Western Austrian flag factory; the flag drawn by Peter Diem is that used by
the Eastern Austrian flag factory. The latter is heraldically better because
the constitution prescribes a sable (black) eagle. The former flag tends
to make the eagle appear grey on actual flags.
Peter Diem, 16 August 2002
The state flag is a triband with the coat of arms in the middle. The size of the
coat of arms is prescribed by the location of two points on it. The lower edge of the hammer should be on
[or slightly above - Peter Diem] the upper edge of the
lower red stripe, white the "middle" of the beak should be on the lower edge of the upper red stripe. Horizontally, the
coat of arms is in the middle, of course. This flag is called "Dienstflagge des
Bundes". Framing of the coat of arms in a shield is forbidden (although see
flag signalling government member on board a river boat!)
Željko Heimer, 20 February 2001
The red white red flag with the coat of arms is used as the Government flag and by the army.
Željko Heimer, 18 November 1995
As you can see from http://www.peter-diem.at/bundeswappen.htm
the Landeshauptmann (Land prime minister) has the right to use the federal coat-of-arms, but I have never seen him doing this. The prime
ministers elected by the nine Land parliaments are indeed, according to the constitution, also organs of the Federal Administration, but only
"also". They draw their whole legitimation from the Land - they act more against
the Federation instead of for the Federation. Therefore I assume that a car flag used for official occasions would be only the
state flag/state service flag (Landesflagge/Landesdienstflagge).
As municipalities do not have federal functions, they have to show the plain national
flag.
Practice frequently does not follow the legal prescriptions, though. The flag manufacturer Gärtner/Mittersill floods the country with federal
service flags with "grey" eagle, which are also used frequently for waving during sports
events.
Peter Diem, 18 August / 3 September 2003 (translated by Marcus
Schmöger)
Duke Friedrich II (1210-1246), the last Babenberg, sought to become more
independent of the Roman Emperor (also Friedrich II) and adopted as a new "logo"
the red-white-red arms in the year 1230. The first colour document bearing them
dates from 1232.
Peter Diem, 16 August 2002
The story goes that one of the early rulers of Austria wore a white tunic in battle one day, and the battle was so bloody that the entire
tunic
was bloodstained by the end of the fighting. When he took his belt off, however,
the part of the tunic protected by the belt was still white. However, I haven't
been able to trace the name of the particular ruler or what battle it was he was
fighting in. At any rate, true or not, that legend is the origin of the modern
Austrian flag .
Mike Oettle, 15 March 2002
Smith (1975) quotes a similar legend (although it should be noted that this
version is NOT found in Austrian sources):
"The origin of the Austrian colors concerns the Battle of Ptolemais (Acre) in 1191. Duke Leopold V was supposedly granted
these arms by King Henry VI, based on the battle-bloodied tunic of the duke, which had remained white only where covered by his wide
belt. Losing his standard during the fray, Leopold supposedly raised his tunic as a rallying point, and the design was subsequently made
official."
Željko Heimer, 18 March 2002
Ptolemais is the same as Acre or Akko, in Israel, which was reconquered by Philippe II Auguste of France from Saladin in 1191.
Jarig Bakker, 18 March 2002
Note that a "fess" (Norman French for sash) is so called because it resembles the sash or belt a knight would wear across his waist.
Santiago Dotor, 20 March 2002
Andrew Wheatcroft (1995) "The Habsburgs - Embodying Empire"
reported that Duke Leopold V of Austria (referred to in one source as "Leopold Heldenthum") was
of the Babenberg dynasty. The Babenbergs were the original Margraves and then Dukes of Austria, reigning from 976 to 1246.
They were followed by the Habsburgs who were Dukes of Austria from 1278.
Leonie Giudici, 20 March 2002