Flag of Austria
The national flag of Austria (Austrian German: Flagge Österreichs) is a triband in the following order: red, white, and red.
| Use | Civil flag and ensign |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | 1230 (first recorded use) 1 May 1945 (formally adopted) |
| Design | A horizontal triband of red (top and bottom) and white. |
| Use | State and war flag, state and naval ensign |
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Design | A horizontal triband of red (top and bottom) and white defaced with the coat of arms of Austria at its centre. |
The Austrian flag is considered one of the oldest national symbols still in use by a modern country, with its first recorded use in 1230. The Austrian triband originated from the arms of the Babenberg dynasty. As opposed to other flags, such as the black-and-yellow banner of the Habsburgs, the red-white-red flag was from very early on associated, not with a reigning family or monarch, but with the country itself.
In addition to serving as the flag of Austria since 1230, it was adopted as the naval ensigns and flags of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and Duchy of Modena and Reggio in the 18th and 19th centuries respectively, as both were ruled by cadet branches of the House of Habsburg.