Flag types in Austria: hoisted flags, vertical flags, banners and the service flag

In Austria people mostly say “Fahne” where Germans often say “Flagge” – one hoists the Fahne, one buys an Österreichfahne. Technically there is still a distinction, and very different forms are used depending on the pole, the occasion and the building. Typical of Austria is the tall, narrow Knatterfahne, a vertical flag.

Fahne or Flagge?

The Austrian Armed Forces’ flag order and the Ministry of the Interior’s article draw the line like this:

• Fahne: a piece of cloth permanently attached on one side to a staff, carried or set up. The staff can carry a finial, the “Krönlein”. A Fahne is not replaced but kept for as long as possible; it can also be blessed by the church – as with the traditional flags of clubs and associations.
• Flagge: a cloth without its own staff, hoisted on a pole or used as a hanging flag. It is regarded as a replaceable consumable.

In everyday language the distinction blurs. These guides use “flag” throughout and keep the German terms where they help.

State flags

On the service flag, the federal coat of arms reaches evenly into both red stripes. The Armed Forces’ flag order adds that the eagle faces the pole on both sides and is not surrounded by a shield. For the maritime flag, according to the Ministry of the Interior, other indications of a seagoing ship’s Austrian nationality, such as red-white-red pennants, are not permitted. More on the colours in the guide to red-white-red.

Flags on a pole

• Landscape hoisted flag: attached to the halyard by its short side, under the Armed Forces’ flag order with at least two, preferably three snap hooks. Only this type can be set at half-mast.
• Knatterfahne (portrait format): hoisted by its long side and flying freely as a tall, narrow cloth. According to the Salzburg maker Fahnen Gärtner, 100 × 400 cm is the most common flag size in Austria. The Styrian flag guide describes it as a flag attached to a pole along its wide side.
• Banner flag: hangs from a crossbar or arm on the pole and is therefore fully visible even without wind. The Styrian guide describes the banner as an elongated flag attached crosswise to a bar.

According to Fahnen Gärtner, the difference between banner and Knatterfahne lies in the finishing, that is, in how the flag is attached to the pole. Which size suits which pole height is shown in the guide to flag sizes.

Flags on buildings

• Hanging or house flag: hangs vertically on the façade. Under the Armed Forces’ flag order, it has a short staff at the top and bottom and is fixed at both narrow sides so that the direction of the red-white-red stripes remains clear. House flags stay up overnight.
• Flag on a bracket: mounted on a pole projecting at an angle from the wall or in a wall bracket, under the flag order at an angle of about 45 degrees above the horizontal.

Small forms

• Table flag: a scaled-down flag on a small stand, for example at meetings.
• Pennant: a flag ending in one or more points, used by the Armed Forces mainly on boats.
• Standard (Stander): a signal flag indicating the presence of certain persons on board.
• Flag on vehicles: according to the Ministry of the Interior, secure fixing and cleanliness matter when the Austrian colours are carried as a pennant on a vehicle.

State, municipal and club flags

Besides red-white-red, the state flags of the federal states are a frequent sight in Austria, often next to the Austrian flag. Municipalities, fire brigades, brass bands and clubs have their own flags, carried as traditional flags at festivals. More in the guide to the flags of the federal states.