Austria Flag
Austria Flag
In ancient
times, the inhabitants of this land-locked, mountainous country were
Celtic tribes. In 14 b.c., the country to the south of the River Danube
was conquered by the Romans, the region being occupied by Vandals, Goths,
Huns, Lombards, and Avars after the fall of the Roman Empire until a.d.
791, when Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor, established the
foundations of the Austrian Empire.
The region was ruled by the Babenberg family from the 10th century to
1250 and legend tells that during the Battle of Acre in 1191, the white
surcoat worn by the Crusader Luitpold V of Babenberg became so bloodied
that the only part that remained white was underneath his sword belt.
Thus it was that red, with a white band across, became both Luitpold and
Austria's colors and remained an emblem of Austria for over 900 years,
making this Austria flag one of the world's oldest. Austria officially
adopted the flag in 1918, when it became a republic following the
overthrow of the last Hapsburg emperor. During World War II, when Austria
was invaded by Hitler's troops and incorporated into the German Reich,
the Austria flag was banned. With the conclusion of the war in 1945,
however, the Austrian flag was restored.
