Is the story of Duke Leopold V the origin of the flag?
It is a well-known legend. The more securely documented explanation is the medieval heraldic tradition of the Babenbergs.
Flag of Austria
Austria’s constitutional and statutory texts define the red-white-red flag and distinguish the federal service flag as a separate official version.
Current flag
Flag emoji 🇦🇹
Austria
Flag facts
Information about the flag’s design, colours and proportions.
- Proportion
- 2:3 height: width
Flag design
Three equal-width horizontal bands.
- Layout
- Horizontal bands
- Number of bands
- 3
- Details
- Equal-width bands
- Colours
- Red and white
Sources
- Proportion: RIS – Wappengesetz
What does Austria's flag mean?
Austria's flag consists of three equal horizontal bands: red, white and red. It is among Europe's oldest national emblems still in use. The arrangement is tied to the medieval arms of the Babenberg dynasty and is therefore primarily a historical heraldic symbol, rather than a modern flag built around official meanings assigned to each colour.
A famous legend says Duke Leopold V's white tunic was covered in blood during a crusade and revealed a white band when his belt was removed. The story explains the pattern memorably, but it is a legend; the firmer historical connection is the Babenberg arms.
Three equal red-white-red bands
Section 3 of the Coat of Arms Act defines the colours of the Republic as red-white-red and the flag as three equally wide horizontal bands, with white between two red bands. It does not prescribe a ratio for this flag in the section.
The federal service flag uses the same bands but adds the federal coat of arms at the centre, extending into both red stripes. The Act specifies a 2:3 height-to-length ratio for this service flag; that ratio should not be assumed for the plain national flag.
Frequently asked questions
How are the stripes arranged on Austria’s flag?
The flag has three equally wide horizontal stripes: red, white and red.
How does the federal service flag differ?
It adds the federal coat of arms to the centre, extending into the red stripes. The law specifies a 2:3 height-to-length ratio for this service flag.
Does the law specify the plain flag’s proportions?
Section 3 specifies equal-width stripes but gives no ratio there for the plain flag.
Country facts
- Type
- Country
- Name
- Austria
- Continent
- Europe
- Capital
- Vienna
- ISO 3166-1 alpha-2
- AT
- ISO 3166-1 alpha-3
- AUT
- ISO 3166-1 numeric
- 040
- Top-level domain
- .at
- Area
- 83,858 km²
- Population
- 9,208,163 (2025)
- Currency
- EUR
- Calling code
- +43
Flags with a similar layout
These flags come from the same region and share one or more design characteristics.
Historical flags: Austria (1230–)
Images are ordered by the years listed in the collection. A listed year may not be the flag’s official adoption year.
About historical flags
Vexilla's historical flag collection includes former flags associated with present-day countries and territories, as well as flags of states, empires, and other authorities that historically governed them.
A flag's inclusion in a country's historical collection does not necessarily mean that the country was independent at the time or that the flag was its own national flag.
The years shown are based on historical records in the dataset and do not always indicate the date of official adoption. The collection is not exhaustive, and historical usage, territorial coverage, and interpretations may vary.
