Page created: 8th August 1996 Last updated: 19th June 2004	This page is under construction! Links and images might be missing! Data presented on this page may be entirely incorrect!
The FAME is site devoted to systematic and scientific study of flags and coats of arms. Such symbols often bear strong political and other messages. Inclusion of those symbols here does not mean that the author support or approve the ideas they may stand for.

Austria

• National Flag, 1984
• Vertical Flag, 1984
• State Flag, 1984
  • State Flag, 1945 variant
• Standard for the President of the Republic and Members of the Federal Government, 1984
• Standard for Generals, 1984
• Commander’s Pennant, 1984
• Officer’s Pennant, 1984
• River Police Pennant, 1984

• Austria - Federal States
• Austria - Historical Flags

The Republic of Austria adopted in 1984 a new flag law that covers all the flag related issues on the state level. The law mostly confirmed the previously used flags, introducing the only significant change regarding the ensign used on army boats on Danube. A new artwork of the coat of arms is prescribed with these regulations, but in accordiance with the heraldic tradition where the artistic variations are acceptable and equally legitimite, the flags using both 1945 and 1984 prescribed artwork are both valid.

National Flag, 1984

Flagge der Republik Österreich

2:3

The flag is banner of arms of the Austria originating at least from 13^th century. It was used in the form of landesfarben of Austria proper within the Habsburg Empire. With rise of the national movements in 19th century it became the national symbol, it was included into the flags of Austria-Hungary and after the World War it became the national flag of Austria. After the Anschluss in 1938 it was forbidden. With the re-establishemnt of the Republic of Austria after the German occupation, on 1 May 1945 was established the red-whitre-red triband again as the flag of the Republic. The original 1919 coat of arms was reintroduced with the addition of a broken chains on the legs. The 1984 flag law confirmed this flag, and the coat of arms artwork was slightly polished up. In the usage on land the flag has no fixed ratio, and on vessels as the merchant ensign is set to 2:3.

Vertical Flag, 1984

Hängeflagge, Hängefahne, Hausfahne

3:10~

The vertical triband that is a traditional form of flag hoisting in Austria is now mentioned in the legal texts for the first time. It is prescribed that such flag should be hoisted from a crossbar and it is determined that the coat of arms should not be defaced on such flag (though there are more then enough examples of the opposite in official use in Austria). The length of such flags is not determined and could reach four or even five times the hoist size.

State Flag, 1984

Dienstflagge des Bundes

2:3

The new artistic representation of the coat of arms in prescribed on all the 1984 flags containing it, however, the 1945 pattern is not considered any less official. This makes it that there are de facto two slightly different variants of the service flags used in Austria (heraldically the difference is irrelevant). It is said that the two biggest flag makers companies use one of the patters each, so it average there seems to be approximately the same frequency of both variants in use thoughout the country.
This "service flag" replaced the naval ensign with the coat of arms in a white shield, used hereto on the military vessels.
The coat of arms adopted in 1919 retained the Habsburg black eagle, originating from the eagle of the Roman Empire, with the shield at beasts. The eagle of the Republic is monocephalic, crowned with a civic crown and it holds in talons hammer and sickle of the workers and peasants. This coat of arms was abandoned in 1934, but readopted after the World War II, adding the broken chains on the talons, as a symbol of freedom regained.

State Flag, 1945 variant

2:3

The atistic style of the coat of arms pictured in the 1945 regulations differ slightly (heraldically unsignificantly) from the one published in 1984. Both versions are in use.

Standard for the President of the Republic and Members of the Federal Government, 1984

Stander für Bundespräsident und Mitgliede der Bundesregierung

1:1

The flag (standard) of the President and the ministers is a square Austrian triband with the coat of arms set in a white shield in the middle, and bordered with red and white flammulets. The flag differs from the 1976 pattern only in the artistic representation of the coat of arms (and the exact name). The prescribed size is 100 × 100 cm.

Standard for Generals, 1984

Stander für Generale

7:8~

The flag for generals is white rectangle with the state coat of arms in the middle and red and white flammulets. The flag differs from the 1976 pattern not only in the coat of arms artwork, but also in the number of flames along each side. The size of the flag is 100 × 114 cm.

Commander’s Pennant, 1984

Kommandantenwimpel (Verbandsführer)

13:29

The group commander pennant is swallow-tailed triangular pennant. The coat of arms that was present in the 1976 pattern is now removed altogether. The prescribed size is 65 × 145 cm with indentation of 65 cm.

Officer’s Pennant, 1984

Offizierswimpel

2:25

The masthead pennant of the Austrian red-white-red long triangular pennant has tradition since 1786. The modern prescribed size is 20 × 250 cm.

River Police Pennant, 1984

Wimpel bei Durchführung schiffahrtspolizeilicher Maßnahmen

9:20

The pennant hoisted by the vessels of the river police is white with horizontal blue voided lozenge. Similar pennant is used by the river police forces of other countries in the Danubian confluence.