Flag sizes in Austria: a table for pole and flag

A flag that is too small looks lost on a tall pole; one that is too large strains pole and foundation and wears out faster. Austria has no statutory rule for private poles. There are, however, two guides: the ideal ratio in the Austrian Armed Forces’ flag order and the size tables of flag makers. Typical of Austria is that the portrait-format flag plays a large role alongside the landscape flag.

The Armed Forces’ 1:5 ratio

The Armed Forces’ flag order states that there are no binding sizes for flags internationally. For the flagpole in barracks, however, it gives an ideal ratio of 1:5 between flag height and pole height, with two examples:

• a 2 × 3 metre flag on a 10-metre pole,
• a 1 × 1.5 metre flag on a 5-metre pole.

The flag height is thus one fifth of the pole height, and the length follows from the 2:3 format, which the flag order calls the most common worldwide and prescribes for all of the ministry’s flags.

A retailer’s table for landscape flags

The Erste Österreichische Fahnenfabrik in Scharnstein gives as a rule of thumb that a landscape flag in still air covers about the upper third of the visible pole, and publishes this table:

The retailer’s table is slightly below the 1:5 ratio for low poles and slightly above it for taller ones.

A retailer’s table for vertical flags

For portrait-format flags, the Fahnenfabrik gives a guide value of about half to two thirds of the pole height:

According to the Salzburg maker Fahnen Gärtner, 100 × 400 cm is the most common flag size in Austria and 7 metres the most common pole height – exactly the combination in the table. For comparison, Fahnen Gärtner gives 120 × 400 cm for Germany and 150 × 150 cm for Switzerland.

What affects the choice

• Wind: the flag is the actual surface the wind acts on. The permissible flag size depends on the pole and is stated in the manufacturer’s specifications. More in the guide to flagpole safety.
• Half-mast: only landscape flags can be set at half-mast; vertical flags receive a ribbon in mourning. This plays a role in choosing the format. More in the guide to half-mast.
• Surroundings: Fahnen Gärtner names the proximity of neighbouring houses, the free space available and the wind conditions as the relevant factors for pole height.
• Several poles: several poles side by side look uniform with the same flag size on poles of the same height.

The calculator

The flag size calculator shows, for any pole height, the size under the 1:5 ratio and the matching rows of the retailer’s tables. What affects the price of a flag is described in the guide to buying a flag.