Flag of Austria
| Flag of the Republic of Austria | |
|---|---|
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| Vexillological symbol : |
 
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| Aspect ratio: | 2: 3 |
| Officially accepted: | May 1, 1945 |
? Flag of the Republic of Austria waving in the wind , used as a civil and Austrian sea flag ( trade flag )The flags of Austria are derived from the red-white-red shield of Austria ( Bindenschild ) from the early 13th century.
General
The colors of the Republic of Austria and the general appearance of the flag were changed with the Federal Constitutional Act of July 1, 1981, which amended the Federal Constitutional Act in the version of 1929 ( Federal Law Gazette No. 350/1981 ) by adding Art. 8a B. -VG established as a constitutional provision:
"Article 8a. (1) The colors of the Republic of Austria are red-white-red. The flag consists of three horizontal stripes of equal width, of which the middle one is white, the upper one and the lower one red. "
Simultaneously with the addition of § 8a B-VG, the Coat of Arms Act of 1945 was repealed. It was not until almost three years later that the Federal Law of March 28, 1984 on the coat of arms and other emblems of the Republic of Austria (Coat of Arms Act) was announced in Federal Law Gazette No. 159/1984 . Thus, the federal coat of arms ("federal eagle"; § 1 in connection with Appendix 1), the seal of the republic (§ 2) and the flags of the republic (§ 3) with the official flag (paragraph 3 in connection with Appendix 2) were included in their current versions introduced. In accordance with Paragraph 4, the Coat of Arms Act "does not affect the provisions contained in the Maritime Law, Federal Law Gazette No. 174/1981, on the flag of the Republic of Austria at sea (sea flag) [...]."
The exact shades of the colors red and white for the Austrian national emblems are not regulated in the Austrian laws and thus in the coat of arms of the Republic of Austria. Only for the shade of red in the application area within the Armed Forces can be found in the way of a decree in the basic provisions on the use of the emblem as well as the flags of procedure of the Austrian Federal regulation. In the current version of May 14, 2018, Section I C. Insignia number 1 stipulates: "The red in the Austrian state colors has the characteristic ' Pantone 186 C'."
In contrast to the military sector, the exact arrangement of the federal eagle on the red-white-red official flag is not regulated and only results from Appendix 2 of the Coat of Arms Act.
Civil flags
Flag of the Republic of Austria
The appearance of the flag of the Republic of Austria ( national flag ) is stipulated in Section 3 of the Coat of Arms Act, whereby according to Paragraph 2 it consists of three horizontal stripes of equal width, of which the middle one is white and the upper and lower stripes are red, which results in Paragraph 1 results in the combination red-white-red. The heraldic blazon is red-silver-red and goes back directly to the medieval Austrian shield . The flag formed from the colors of the Austrian Republic is one of the oldest national emblems in the world that are still in force.
In contrast to the maritime and federal service flags described below, the ratio of width to length is not anchored in law in the “normal” national flag. But even with this format, the hoist flag , a general ratio of two to three has been established. However, the use of flapping and banner flags is much more widespread in Austria , which means that the color combination red-white-red can be seen much more vertically next to each other than horizontally below each other. In contrast to the federal official flag with the federal coat of arms contained therein ( see below ), the national flag can be used freely by every citizen.
Sea flag (trade flag)
The flag of the Republic of Austria at sea (sea flag) is the name of the trade flag that is hoisted as the national flag by merchant ships and other privately owned ships . Alongside the war flag, the trade flag is one of the two original versions of the national flag.
The appearance of the sea flag and how it is to be used on the ships is regulated in Section 3 of the Federal Maritime Act ( Seeschifffahrtsgesetz - SeeSchFG) :
“Section 3. (1) The flag of the Republic of Austria at sea (sea flag) in the form in accordance with Paragraph 2 may only be carried by Austrian seagoing vessels; they are not allowed to fly the sea flag of another state.
(2) The sea flag consists of three horizontal stripes of equal width, of which the middle one is white, the upper one and the lower one red. The ratio of the flag's height to its length is two to three. Other references to the Austrian nationality of a seagoing ship (e.g. by means of red-white-red pennants, stander) are not permitted.
(3) The sea flag is to be used in the manner customary for seagoing vessels of the relevant class. At the point where the sea flag is set or is regularly waved, other flags may not be set. "
According to § 7 Abs. 2 SeeSchFG "the admission to shipping is connected with the right and the obligation to use the sea flag." "An administrative offense, even if the act was committed abroad, is guilty and is" according to § 54 , if the offense does not concern an act falling within the jurisdiction of the courts (para. 3), to punish with a fine of up to 2,180 euros (para. 1) who, according to para. 2, among other things, “flies the Austrian sea flag without being admitted to shipping (Section 3 (1)) ”(number 1), who“ refers to the Austrian nationality of a seagoing vessel without being admitted to shipping (Section 3 (2) third sentence) ”(item 2) and who“ as the owner of an Austrian seagoing vessel uses the sea flag of another state (§ 3 Paragraph 1) ”(Z 3).
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Federal service flag
The official flag of the federal government shows the coat of arms of the Republic of Austria , which extends evenly into the two red stripes , in accordance with Section 3 Paragraph 3 in conjunction with Annex 2 of the Coat of Arms Act . The ratio of the height of the service flag to its length is two to three. When the service flag is used as a portrait flag (rattle, banner, cantilever, hanging flag), the coat of arms is placed upright, as is common practice. Contrary to a widespread assumption, the official flag is not (at the same time) the Austrian national flag, which is only shown in red-white-red and without the federal coat of arms.
In accordance with Section 6 of the Wappengesetz in conjunction with Section 4, the right to use the federal official flag is only available to the highest state organs (para. 2), the provincial governors as organs of indirect federal administration and "the authorities, offices, institutions and other federal agencies Austrian federal forests and the armed forces; likewise the universities and colleges including their institutes, the faculties, the departments and the special university facilities, as far as they have at least limited legal personality, as well as the administrations of the state monopolies.
Use by private individuals, companies or associations is not permitted. In accordance with Section 8 of the Wappengesetz , whoever wields one of the emblems of the Republic of Austria - and thus also the official flag of the federal government (section 1) and the federal coat of arms (section 3) - can be punished with an administrative fine of up to EUR 3,600 or "Images of the federal coat of arms or images of the flag of the Republic of Austria or the flag itself are used in a way that is likely to simulate public entitlement or to impair the reputation of the Republic of Austria" (Z 4).
State symbols of the Austrian military
War flag (military flag)
The federal service flag is used as the military flag, a separate war flag has not existed since the end of the Imperial and Royal Army in 1918.
In the current version of the decree of the Federal Ministry for National Defense , Basic Provisions on the Use of the National Emblem and on the Flag Ordinance of the Austrian Armed Forces of May 14, 2018, Section I C. Insignia Section 1 stipulates that “the red is in the Austrian state colors must have the characteristic ' Pantone 186 C' ”.
Section I C. Insignia number 2 specifies the exact design of the federal official flag used in the military sector and the type of suspension:
“The federal official flag corresponds to the flag of the Republic of Austria, but also has the coat of arms of the Republic of Austria (federal coat of arms) in the middle on both sides, which extends evenly into the two red stripes. The federal coat of arms is located exactly in the middle of the flag leaf and is vertical when the flag is waving away (Appendix 1). The heraldic eagle's gaze is directed towards the flagpole on both sides. The end of the handle of the hammer lies on the upper edge of the lower red stripe and the upper half of the beak of the heraldic eagle runs along the lower edge of the upper red stripe of the flag cloth. A coat of arms around the coat of arms eagle is not permitted. "
Cockade (= national emblem) for military vehicles
The national emblem ( cockade ) is a white equilateral triangle with the point downwards in a red disc, which was introduced in 1936.
This type of national emblem has proven necessary with the advent of aircraft and tanks. In the case of ships, the nationality is indicated by the war flag. Airplanes use the painted national emblem, or cockade or roundel, a modification of the war flag. This emblem is now used for many military vehicles. The patrol boats on the Danube used the military flag until they were decommissioned in 2006.
Legal protection - using and waving the flags of Austria
There are statutory provisions on the use and use of flags and other national emblems (§ 6ff Wappengesetz; § 54 SeeSchFG). Furthermore, the degradation of the state and its symbols ( Section 248 of the Criminal Code ), including the flag, are subject to a special threat of punishment through criminal law.
The federal service flag is used ("led") by federal authorities , corporations and organs, such as B. the National Council , the Federal President or the Federal Army ( Section 6 according to Section 4 Paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Coat of Arms Act ).
The flag of the Republic of Austria at sea (sea flag) may only be carried by Austrian seagoing vessels. These may not fly the sea flag of another state, and no other flag in the designated place (Section 3 (1) and (3) SeeSchFG). Other references to the Austrian nationality of a seagoing vessel (such as red-white-red pennants, stander) are not permitted (Section 3 (2) SeeSchFG).
In § 54 Motor Vehicles Act is further stipulated that standards , flags and pennants in the colors of the Republic of Austria with the federal coat of arms (Bundesdienstflagge) may be performed only on official occasions and only to cars which are to be used for trips of President highest and other representatives of the state. Carrying these standards, flags and pennants on the front of the vehicle in the middle is only permitted when the Federal President is driving or when the Federal President is driving on special occasions.
The use of the national flag (i.e. without the coat of arms) by others is not forbidden, as long as this does not simulate public authorization (Section 7 of the Coat of Arms Act):
"The use of images of the federal coat of arms, images of the flag of the Republic of Austria and the flag itself is permitted, provided that it is not suitable to simulate public authorization or to impair the reputation of the Republic of Austria."
In 2008 a debate broke out about whether patriotic football fans should be allowed to hang the Austrian flag on vehicles on the occasion of the European Football Championship . Since the affixing of a flag with a federal coat of arms (federal service flag) to vehicles is not permitted according to the Motor Vehicle Act, Minister of Infrastructure Werner Faymann announced a decree that suspended this punitive provision for the time before and during the European Championship. In addition, it was considered that this provision could be omitted at all.
Supplementary state symbols
European Union: flag and national emblem
In 1995 Austria became part of the European Union . Since then, their sovereignty symbols have been valid as state symbols in Austria. They are used as a kind of supplementary or supplementary flag to the state flag.
When units of the Austrian Armed Forces are deployed within the framework of EUFOR , the EUFOR cockade is used as an additional emblem for Austrian military vehicles. The cockade is also used as a uniform patch to identify individual soldiers.
national emblem Austrian Army UN Mission
United Nations: flag and national emblem
In 1955 Austria became a member of the United Nations (UN). Since then, their sovereignty symbols have been used and valid as state symbols in Austria on special occasions (not as much used as the EU symbols). They are used as a kind of supplementary or supplementary flag to the state flag.
When units of the Austrian Armed Forces are deployed within the framework of the UN, the UN cockade (UN flag or the letters UN) is used as an additional emblem for Austrian military vehicles.
History of the flag
The flags of Austria as a monarchy
Albrecht Altdorfer , around 1513–1515
The binding shield , the (newer) house coat of arms of the Babenbergs with the silver bar on a red background, can be reliably identified from 1230 onwards. There is no clarity about its origin, there are some legends about its origin. The best-known legend is that the binding shield was created during the siege of Akkon (1189–1191) in the Third Crusade, in which the Babenberg Duke Leopold V also took part. It is said that after the battle his white robe was soaked in blood, except for a white stripe (the "bandage") where he wore the sword belt. It is not known where the binding shield really comes from. Assumptions see its origin in the red-white-red fief flag of the Eppensteiner , which came to the Babenbergers via the Traungau .
As early as 1250, the colors were used as territorial symbols of their possessions in Austria, and after 1270 ( Rudolf von Habsburg ) by the Habsburg dukes as the house coat of arms, after they had been enfeoffed with the lands of the Babenbergs. As a result, Habsburg also called itself House of Austria . From the 15th century onwards, as New Austria , it finally became the emblem for the Habsburg power in Austria and the hereditary lands , and thus Austria's coat of arms.
The red-white-red flag has also been found since the 14th century, less often as an army symbol, where it takes a back seat to the black and gold imperial banner of the Holy Roman Empire , than at ceremonies and festive occasions.
The Austrian Army in modern times primarily uses the double-headed eagle and the Burgundy cross as standard symbols, and since Ferdinand II (1578–1637) also uses the image of the Madonna . However, the regional coats of arms continued to be decisive for the individual countries under Habsburg rule. A uniform state structure with a centrally coordinated government for all individual states - and central emblems - did not come into being until the Austrian Empire was founded in 1804.
1786 was Austrian Navy (after the establishment of Austria-Hungary in Kuk Navy renamed) founded and the colors red-white-red in the same year intended for naval flag of Austria (the official civil flag of Austria or later for the Austrian half of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was black and yellow).
influence
The red-white-red flag was also used in the areas ruled by the Habsburgs in northern Italy.
Duchy of Modena , 1830 to 1859
Grand Duchy of Tuscany , 1840 to 1848
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The flag of the first republic: red-white-red
While the Social Democrats under Renner advocated the “revolutionary black, red and gold” as the antithesis to the monarchy and the House of Habsburg and as a synthesis with the German Republic, the Christian Socials under Miklas saw the “venerable Babenberg and crusade colors red and white -Red “a sign of continuity.
When the republic was proclaimed in front of the Vienna Parliament on November 12, 1918, red-white-red flags were to be hoisted. Radical members of the "Red Guard", a new paramilitary organization, however, tore the white stripes from the red-white-red flags and pulled back the red remains. Part of the crowd cheered, the vast majority remained silent and wanted nothing to do with a “socialist” republic.
The newly created 1st Republic took over the traditional symbol of the Habsburg multi-ethnic state, the red-white-red k and kuk Kriegsmarine and naval war flags as the Austrian state flag in 1919.
1934–1938 State flag and cross flag of the federal state of Austria (corporate state)
In 1936 the flag of the Fatherland Front with the cross , the cross flag, was equated with the national flag in Germany, in § 2 of the Federal Law on the Federal Flag of December 28, 1936 was determined:
“The cross flag is to be kept the same inland as the national flag and can be used next to it. ... The cross flag consists of three horizontal stripes, the middle one being white, the upper one and the lower one red. The median has a circular extension in two fifths of the length, in the middle of which there is an openwork red cross. The flag is covered with a green rafter on the flag pole, the outer edge of which extends from the center of the red stripes and the inner edge of the dividing lines. "
The state flag was still red-white-red. However, the cross flag was allowed to be hoisted in Germany (not abroad) next to the red-white-red national flag ("supplementary"). The cross was thus the official state symbol .
History of the national emblem - cockade
1913–1918 Austria-Hungary: Austro-Hungarian Army and Navy Air Force
On October 1, 1913, red-white-red stripes were placed on the wing tips, rudder and fuselage to mark the Austro-Hungarian military aircraft. On August 28, 1914 it was ordered that not only the rudder, but also the entire tail unit should be marked with red, white and red stripes. This resulted in a national emblem, a first cockade:
The kuk aviation troops , the air force of the kuk army used the red-white-red flag to mark the rudder.
The kuk Seeflieger , the naval aviators of Austria-Hungary, used the kuk war (marine) flag as a rudder mark and kept it (supplemented by paw and bar cross) throughout the war.
It soon turned out that these markings were mainly used by the opposing pilots. For the Allied fighter pilots, the aircraft were easy to spot thanks to the bright red-white-red, easy to sight and therefore easy to shoot down.
Germany supplied Austria-Hungary with warplanes (their own armament capacities were too small), which were marked with the German national emblem, the paw cross , ex works . Germany introduced the Tatzenkreuz as a national emblem on September 28, 1914. The paw cross was left on the aircraft and supplemented with red, white and red stripes.
On May 5, 1915, the paw cross was introduced as an official national emblem in Austria-Hungary. It was applied to the wings and rudder in various ways. In 1916 the red, white and red marking of aircraft of the Austro-Hungarian Army Air Force was banned due to the persistently high aircraft losses (exception: Austro-Hungarian Navy Air Force).
Over time, however, it turned out that the German and Austrian pilots confused the paw cross with the Allied cockades (the reason was the rounded shape of the sign).
On July 7, 1918, the paw cross was replaced by the Balkenkreuz in Austria-Hungary (Germany had already switched on March 17, 1918). It was used in various variants until the end of the war.
1919 / 1927–1935 activities despite the ban
In 1919, the Republic of Austria was forbidden to operate military aircraft in the peace treaty. The Heimwehr Aviation Corps was founded in 1927 (dissolved in 1938 after the Anschluss ). Sign of the corps: a red-white-red flag with a green circle in the middle, in which - again in the middle - a white eagle was depicted. The planes were from Austrian, British and German production. In 1928 the Republic of Austria began the secret training of pilots. Subsequently, a technical infrastructure was procured and aircraft were ordered. In August 1933 the first aircraft ordered by the Republic of Austria were delivered (5 Fiat CR.20 biplanes). The federal state of Austria began to secretly set up aviation associations in Vienna-Aspern and Graz-Thalerhof with aircraft from Italian production (Fiat, Caproni).
1936–1938 New emblem of the federal state of Austria
In 1936 the armed forces held a competition for a new national emblem. It was won by the design by Ing.Paul Rosner, an aircraft technician from the Graz-Thalerhof aircraft yard. It is a white equilateral triangle with the point downwards in a red disk and is reminiscent of a stylized "give priority" in front of the old stop sign .
Traditionally, the color scheme of the new national emblem is “red-white-red”, but its formal design is to be regarded as a new emblem. In terms of its shape, it has no “predecessor symbols”, as is the case with a flag or coat of arms.
1955 – today used by the (2nd) Republic of Austria
This national emblem was reinstated in 1955 and is the only symbol of the federal state of Austria (Ständestaat) that is also used by today's Republic of Austria. Today it is not only used for aircraft, but also as a license plate on armored tracked and recovery vehicles, wheeled vehicles and watercraft of the armed forces and the army administration.
See also
- Coat of arms of the Republic of Austria
- Seal of the Republic of Austria
- Flags and coats of arms of the countries of Austria
- Flagging public buildings in Austria
literature
- Andreas Kusternig: eagles and red-white-red - symbols from Lower Austria. Catalog No. 174, Vienna, 1986
- Peter Diem: The symbols of Austria. Kremayr & Scheriau, Vienna 1995
- Ulrike Michel: Coats of arms and flags: The symbols of the republic. In: Public Safety , 11–12 / 06, BMI (Ed.), Vienna 2006, pp. 69–75 ( full text online (PDF) )
Web links
- Peter Diem: The symbols of Austria and its federal states. Retrieved May 15, 2008 .
- Coat of arms law of the Republic of Austria
- Federal Ministry for National Defense via national emblems
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Annex 1 Wappengesetz (PDF) in the federal legal information system .
- ↑ a b c Annex 2 Wappengesetz (PDF) in the federal legal information system .
- ↑ a b c d Bulletin I of the Federal Ministry of Defense , year 2018, Vienna, June 4, 2018: 63. Basic provisions on the use of the emblem and the flag order of the Austrian Armed Forces decree of May 14, 2018, GZ S93592 / 3-MFW / 2018. ( Full text (PDF; 18 p .; here: p. 3) on the website of the Austrian Armed Forces, accessed on August 9, 2018.
- ↑ No penalties for fan flags on the car. In: Der Standard , June 9, 2008.
- ^ Karl Vocelka : Austrian history (= Beck'sche series. 2369). Beck, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-406-50869-1 , p. 14.
- ↑ a b Peter Diem: Red-White-Red through the centuries. The true story of the Austrian colors. Accessed on May 15, 2008 (also pdf ).
- ↑ Federal Ministry of the Interior: The symbols of the republic.
- ^ Alfred Mell: The flags of the Austrian soldiers through the ages . Bergland, Vienna 1962, p. 29 . Quotation after Diem: red-white-red through the centuries.
- ^ Gustav Spann: On the history of the flag and coat of arms of the Republic of Austria. In: Norbert Leser, Manfred Wagner (Ed.): Austria's political symbols. Böhlau, Vienna 1994.
- ↑ Thomas Chorherr: A Brief History of Austria. Carl Ueberreuter, Vienna 2003.
- ↑ Erwin A. Schmidl : Military symbolism in Austria since 1918 (in: Norbert Leser - Manfred Wagner , Österreichspolitische Symbols. Historically, aesthetically and ideologically critically illuminated; pp. 98–119; Böhlau, 1994) p. 109
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