Flag of Austria

Flag origins

Austria’s flag carries a medieval heraldic design into a modern national flag. The design has been used for nearly eight hundred years.

Flag story

A famous legend explains the red-white-red pattern through a bloodstained tunic and a white belt mark. Duke Leopold V of the Babenberg dynasty fought in the Third Crusade at the siege of Acre in 1191. His white clothing supposedly became red with enemy blood, but removing his sword belt revealed a white strip. The emperor is said to have awarded him this red-white-red coat of arms. This is a legend, not an established account of the flag’s origin.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Austria — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

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