|
The current flag of Austria was officially
adopted May 1, 1945, but the design dates as far back as 1230,
making it one of the oldest national flag designs in the world. The
legend of the origin of the flag begins on the battlefield, where
Duke Leopold V, of Austria, removed the belt from his blood-soaked
tunic revealing a solid white stripe across the middle of his
bloodstained shirt. This is emulated in the civil design, which
consists of three equal horizontal stripes, in red, white and red.
Austria also recognizes a government version of the flag which
features the coat of arms centered on the same civil design. The
coat of arms features an Eagle holding a gold sickle in one talon
and a gold hammer in the other. His legs are bound with a broken
iron chain, and his chest is emblazoned with a red, white and red
shield. It is maintained that the hammer and sickle are not
associated with communism, but when considered with the eagle’s
crown, simply represent the unity of the three classes of people
within the nation. The broken chain is believed to have been added
in 1945 as a direct reference to Austria’s liberation from the
Nazis.
|
