!!!Fahnen

Flags and Banners: The colours of the Austrian national flag are  
Red-White-Red; the colours were officially adopted in 1918 by the 
First Republic of Austria based on the flag (dating back to 1230) of 
the Babenberg dynasty.

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After Austria was elevated to the status of a duchy in 1156, the 
Austrian flag included the Imperial Eagle which was replaced by the 
Austrian  Striped Shield in 1230. The earliest depiction of an 
Austrian army flag dates back to the year 1254. The provincial coat of 
arms was displayed on each province's flag, soon afterward the flag 
for the entire Austrian territory carrying the striped escutcheon of 
Austria was recognised as the sole official flag of Austria. In 1433 a 
one-headed royal eagle, but mainly the Imperial Double Eagle ( Coat of 
Arms), the symbol of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, was 
added.

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Ferdinand II integrated the picture of the Virgin Mary into the 
Austrian flag during the Thirty Years´ War. From that time the 
white flag of the Sovereign's personal regiment the Habsburgs (until 
1915 the flag of the Imperial Regiment) carried the image of Mary on 
one side. The commanders of the remaining regiments decided on the 
appearance of the individual regimental flags. After 1745 the flag 
borders were flame-shaped in black-and-gold, and red-and-white. Once 
flags began to be made from painted silk, the size and weight of 
military flags was greatly diminished. For almost 100 years flags 
continued to be made in this fashion (painting the symbols on silk). 
The individual flag characteristics have since been expressed in 
banner ribbons; it has remained common practice up to the present day 
to write dedications on the ribbons.

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Along with changes in Austrian rulers and Austrian territories came 
changes in the coat of arms and the design of the flag. It was not 
until the 19%%sup th/%  century, when the Emperor´s initials 
were removed from the flag design, that the succession of the next 
ruler to the throne had no effect on the appearance of the flag. In 
1804 the Austrian Empire adopted the coat of arms and the 
black-and-gold flag (black double eagle on a gold field) of the Holy 
Roman Empire. The Red-White-Red flag remained the flag of only the 
Austrian navy and the house colours of the Habsburg-Lothringen 
dynasty.

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In 1805 the number of flags for each army battalion was reduced, after 
1867 the battalion flags and the standards (with the exception of the 
14%%sup th/%  Dragoon Regiment) were abolished. Each infantry regiment 
had two flags; a white regiment flag and a yellow battalion flag for 
the reserve regiment. The Tirolean Kaiserjaeger, the Guards, the two 
military academies (the Theresianische Militaerakademie and the 
Technische Militaerakademie) and the main guard regiments in Vienna 
and Budapest also flew their own flags. The Landwehrakademie (academy 
for military reserves in the provinces) flew a flag which today are 
part of the tradition kept at the Wiener Neustadt academy, together 
with the flags of the two military academies and its own flag bestowed 
in 1934. In 1875 a new white-and-gold woven flag design with a coat of 
arms created by the painter L. Kupelwieser was introduced. This was 
the last flag flown by the army of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

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In the army of the First Republic of Austria the Vienna Household 
Regiment (4%%sup th/%  infantry regiment) flew a red-white-red flag 
with the official state coat of arms. Starting in 1925 the remaining 
infantry troops flew a flag with the state coat of arms on one side 
and the individual province's coat of arms on the other. In 1935 the 
image of the Virgin Mother was reintroduced. Flag designs of the 
provincial reserve troops of 1915 were also adopted when no 
traditional flag had been bestowed.

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In the army of the Second Republic of Austria, the Vienna Guard still 
flies the flag of the former Body Guard Regiment. In accordance with 
tradition, each province bestows flags on the troops stationed there.

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A flag (with the federal coat of arms) is raised over the office of 
the Austrian Federal President in the Hofburg in Vienna when Austria's 
head of state is occupying his/her offices. A flag is also flown in 
front of the Parliament building when the Nationalrat is in session.

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The ''flags of the Bundeslaender'' (Austrian provinces) contain the 
colours of each  provincial coat of arms.The flag for Burgenland was 
created after the establishment of the province; in Tyrol 
green-and-white flags are flown in addition to flags with the 
provincial colours.

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Until 1828 unused flags were stored in armouries and at the "Economy 
Commission", after 1891 flags were kept primarily in churches, and in 
the newly formed  Museum of Military History in Vienna. Almost all of 
Austria's larger municipalities have flags showing the colours of the 
coat of arms of the communities in the municipality. Since the 
19%%sup th/%  century it has been common for many associations to have 
flags as well.

!Literature
A. Mell, Die Flaggen der oesterreichischen Soldaten im 
Wandel der Zeiten, 1962; T. Wise and G. Rosignoli, Flaggen und 
Standarten 1618-1900, 1978; D. Visser, Flaggen, Wappen, Hymnen, 1991; 
A. Polivka-Treuensee, Die Feldzeichen des oesterreichischen 
Bundesheeres, in: Truppendienst 5, 1975.


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