Austria Flag

Austria's flag is one of the simplest and oldest in the world: three equal horizontal bands of red, white, and red. The design is a triband — a symmetric two-colour horizontal flag.

The civil flag uses only the bands. The state flag adds the Austrian coat of arms — a black eagle with a hammer and sickle in its talons — centred on the white stripe.

Legend credits Duke Leopold V of Austria with designing the flag after the Siege of Acre (1191). His white surcoat was soaked in blood except under his sword belt, leaving a white stripe — inspiring the red-white-red pattern. While the story may be embellished, the colours appear in the Babenberg coat of arms from the 13th century.

The modern national flag was formally adopted in 1918 with the founding of the First Austrian Republic. It remains unchanged today, making Austria's design one of the oldest still in continuous use.