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Austria Flag, Republic of
SKU: AUT35P
The Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich) is a landlocked nation in central
Europe. It borders Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia
and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. It's capital is Vienna. Although it is a member of
both the European Community and the United Nations, Austria is one of two
European countries that has declared its everlasting
neutrality, the other being Switzerland.
Similar in design to the Danish Flag, the Austrian flag is also believed to
be among the oldest national flag designs in the world. According to legend, the
flag was conceived by Duke Leopold V of Austria during in a fierce battle
during the Crusades. The conclusion of the Battle of Acre resulted in his white
battledress being completely drenched in blood. When he removed his belt the
cloth underneath was white and untouched by the blood. The Duke was so amazed
that his belt line remained white that he adopted the colour scheme as his
banner.
The flag was designed in the 13th century by Duke Frederick II of Austria, the last of the Babenberg
dynasty. Frederick sought greater independence from the Holy Roman Emperor. To this end, he commissioned a new coat of
arms designed: a red field with a silver fess. The oldest known depiction of the flag is on a seal held in safekeeping at the monastery of Lilienfeld in Lower
Austria The seal is dated November 30, 1230.
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