AUSTRIA
- Alex P
- Nov 7
- 3 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
Over the course of Austria's long history, the eagle on the coat of arms has endured much: its second head and the symbols of imperial power were taken away, and the hammer and sickle were given in its place. But it still thrives.
AUSTRIA: THE MOST INTERESTING
One can talk about Austria endlessly, repeating a bunch of platitudes, so the best way to describe it is with the national anthem, written in 1946 by the writer and poet Paula von Preradovich :
Land of mountains, land on the river,
Land of fields, land of cathedrals,
Land of hammers, rich in the future!
Home of great daughters and sons,[b]
People gifted for beauty,
Much-praised Austria!
Hotly contested, fiercely disputed,
You lie at the heart of the continent
Like a strong heart.
Since early ancestral days,
You have borne the burden of a noble mission,
Much-tested Austria
Courageously into the new times,
Free and faithful, see us stride,
Joyful to work and full of hope.
United in jubilant choirs,
Fatherland, let us swear allegiance to you.
Much-beloved Austria!
AUSTRIA: HISTORY OF THE COAT OF ARMS
The red-and-white Austrian shield is one of Europe’s oldest and most recognizable symbols. Its design goes back to the legendary Bindenschild — the “silver band on a red field.”
According to medieval legend, the emblem was born on the battlefield. During the siege of Acre in 1191, Duke Leopold V fought so fiercely that his white tunic turned crimson with blood. When he removed his broad belt, only a single white stripe remained — and that mark of valor became his coat of arms. In other words, the symbol of Austria was quite literally forged in battle.
From then on, the red-and-white pattern accompanied the House of Babenberg — Austria’s first ruling dynasty, whose reign united the Danube lands. Their heraldic colors later evolved into the national flag, carrying the echo of medieval chivalry into the modern state.
The black eagle entered Austrian heraldry in the early Middle Ages: imposing, solemn, and unmistakably imperial. By the fifteenth century, the eagle had grown a second head, as if to suggest that the empire watched over both East and West. It became the proud emblem of the Holy Roman Empire, and later of the Habsburgs, who inherited not only the crown but the habit of grandeur.
For nearly half a millennium, the double-headed eagle of the Habsburgs ruled Europe with wings spread wide over dozens of nations. The orb, the sceptre, and the sword glittered in its talons, proclaiming absolute power.
Then came 1918, and with it, the fall of the monarchy. The eagle survived the empire, but with some remarks. The imperial regalia were removed, the crowns discarded and, most strikingly, the second head of the eagle was also radically removed.
A gesture toward reason, symmetry, and perhaps, if you like literary references, a neat solution, as any reader of Gothic fiction would approve.
In place of crowns came a mural crown in the form of a city tower — symbolizing the bourgeoisie. In its talons, the eagle now holds a sickle and a hammer, representing farmers and workers. The three battlements atop the crown stand for the unity of these three social classes — an image of republican balance replacing imperial splendor.
After the Second World War, the coat of arms gained its final detail: a broken chain on the eagle’s legs, symbolizing Austria’s liberation from Nazism. Simple, powerful, and unmistakable — a nation breaking free from its darkest past.
AUSTRIA: THE FUN FACTS
If you spot the Austrian coat of arms on a vehicle’s license plate, you’re likely looking at a federal service car: it might belong to the President’s office, the army, the police, or even the postal service.
And if the plate bears a rare variant with a flame symbol — that’s the fire department. Lucky you if they’re just passing by. Less lucky if they’re stopping right in front of your house.
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