Flag of Austria
The flag of Austria has three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red. The Austrian triband is the second-oldest flag in use at least since 1230, after the Danish flag (which has been in use since 1219).
The flag traces back to the coat of arms of the medieval Babenberg dynasty, a silver band on a red field (in heraldry: Gules a fess Argent). The origin of the Bindenschild has not been conclusively established, it possibly derived from the Styrian margraves of the Otakar noble family, who themselves may have adopted the colours from the descendants of the Carinthian duke Adalbero (ruled 1011โ1035), a scion of the House of Eppenstein extinct in 1122. However, already the Babenberg margrave Leopold III of Austria (1095โ1136) was depicted with a triband shield in 1105.
The flag traces back to the coat of arms of the medieval Babenberg dynasty, a silver band on a red field (in heraldry: Gules a fess Argent). The origin of the Bindenschild has not been conclusively established, it possibly derived from the Styrian margraves of the Otakar noble family, who themselves may have adopted the colours from the descendants of the Carinthian duke Adalbero (ruled 1011โ1035), a scion of the House of Eppenstein extinct in 1122. However, already the Babenberg margrave Leopold III of Austria (1095โ1136) was depicted with a triband shield in 1105.
