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Austria

Flag size calculator for Austria: which flag suits the pole?

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This page is an English translation of the German original. Where the two versions differ, the German text is the original.

The calculator shows which flag size suits a flagpole. It combines two Austrian sources: the ideal ratio between flag and pole in the flag order of the Austrian Armed Forces and the size table of the Erste Österreichische Fahnenfabrik for landscape and portrait flags.

metres
Landscape flag, retailer’s table
120 × 200 cm
Height × length, Erste Österreichische Fahnenfabrik
Portrait flag, retailer’s table
100 × 400 cm
Width × length, for vertical flags (Knatterfahnen)
Ratio 1 : 5 (Austrian Armed Forces)
140 × 210 cm
Flag height one fifth of the pole height, 2 : 3 format (7.0 m)

How to read the result

  • Landscape flag, retailer’s table: the hoisted flag with its short side on the pole, given as height × length. The Fahnenfabrik’s rule of thumb is that the flag in still air covers about the upper third of the visible pole.
  • Portrait flag, retailer’s table: the vertical Knatterfahne, given as width × length. According to the Fahnenfabrik, it takes up about half to two thirds of the pole height.
  • Ratio 1:5 (Armed Forces): the flag height is one fifth of the pole height, and the length follows from the 2:3 format. The flag order gives 2 × 3 metres on a 10-metre pole and 1 × 1.5 metres on a 5-metre pole as examples.

For the retailer’s tables, the calculator uses the row for the next lower pole height, so a 7.5-metre pole gets the values for 7 metres. The table covers 5 to 9 metres.

An example

For a 7-metre pole, according to Fahnen Gärtner the most common height in Austria, the calculator shows:

VariantSize
Landscape flag, retailer’s table120 × 200 cm
Portrait flag, retailer’s table100 × 400 cm
Ratio 1:5140 × 210 cm

The portrait size of 100 × 400 cm is also, according to Fahnen Gärtner, the most common flag size in Austria.

What the calculator does not take into account

  • Wind load: the permissible flag size depends on pole, foundation and location. In Austria, ÖNORM B 1991-1-4 gives the basic wind speed by location. More in the guide to flagpole safety.
  • Half-mast: only landscape flags can be set at half-mast. More in the guide to half-mast.
  • Arms: banner flags on an arm depend on the length of the arm.

The tables in detail are in the guide to flag sizes, the usual pole heights in the guide to flagpole heights.

Frequently asked questions

How does the Austrian flag size calculator work?

It shows three values: the landscape and portrait flags from the size table of the Erste Österreichische Fahnenfabrik for poles of 5 to 9 metres, and the size under the ideal ratio of 1:5 in the Austrian Armed Forces’ flag order, where the flag height is one fifth of the pole height.

Which pole height is entered?

The visible height of the pole above the ground, without the part in the foundation. Manufacturers usually state the height above ground.

Why does the calculator show no retailer size above 9 metres?

The Fahnenfabrik’s table covers 5 to 9 metres. For taller poles the calculator only shows the 1:5 ratio; for such poles the manufacturer’s specification of the permissible flag size usually decides.

Is the calculated size binding?

No. In Austria there is no rule on flag size for private poles. Binding for stability are the pole manufacturer’s specifications for the largest permissible flag area.

Sources

This guide is based on the following sources, most of them in German:

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