Flags of Austria-Hungary: Difference between revisions

== Overall situation ==

== Overall situation ==

At state functions, the Austrian [[Flag of the Habsburg monarchy|black-gold]] and the Hungarian [[Flag of Hungary|red-white-green tricolor]] were often used to represent the two parts of the empire.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}} In Vienna, in front of [[Schönbrunn Palace]], the black and gold flag was flown for [[Cisleithania]] (Austrian half), while both Croatian and Hungarian flags were flown for [[Transleithania]] (Hungarian half).<ref name=”frank” />

At state functions, the Austrian [[Flag of the Habsburg monarchy|black-gold]] and the Hungarian [[Flag of Hungary|red-white-green tricolor]] were often used to represent the two parts of the empire.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}} In Vienna, in front of [[Schönbrunn Palace]], the black and gold flag was flown for [[Cisleithania]] (Austrian half), while both Croatian and Hungarian flags were flown for [[Transleithania]] (Hungarian half).<ref name=”frank” />

*Separate Austrian and Hungarian teams competed at the Olympic Games, each using their own flag.<ref>https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1912_Opening_ceremony_-_Austria.JPG</ref><ref>https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1912_Opening_ceremony_-_Hungary.JPG</ref>

Separate Austrian and Hungarian teams competed at the Olympic Games, each using their own flag.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}}

the flag.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}}

The empire of Austria-Hungary (1867–1918) did not have a universally used common flag. A single “national flag” could not exist since the Dual Monarchy consisted of two nations brought together by the 1867 Austro-Hungarian Compromise. Additionally, the 1868 Croatian–Hungarian Settlement meant that Croatia and Hungary were entities that legally required separate flags.

• At state functions, the Austrian black-gold and the Hungarian red-white-green tricolor were often used to represent the two parts of the empire.^{[citation needed]} In Vienna, in front of Schönbrunn Palace, the black and gold flag was flown for Cisleithania (Austrian half), while both Croatian and Hungarian flags were flown for Transleithania (Hungarian half).^[1]
• Separate Austrian and Hungarian teams competed at the Olympic Games, each using their own flag.^[2][3]
• The black-gold flag of the ruling Habsburg Dynasty was sometimes used as a de facto national flag.^{[citation needed]}
• The Hungarian half of the realm legally had no flag of its own.^[4] According to the 1868 Croatian–Hungarian Settlement (art. 62 and 63), in all joint Croatian and Hungarian affairs, symbols of both Croatia and Hungary respectively had to be used. For instance, whenever the joint Hungarian-Croatian Parliament held its session in Budapest, both the Croatian and Hungarian flags were hoisted on the parliament building in Budapest.^[4][5][1] Hungary proper used a red-white-green tricolor defaced with the Hungarian coat of arms, sometimes used to represent the entirety of the Lands of the Hungarian Crown.
• A common civil ensign was introduced in 1869 for civilian vessels.^[6] This “double” civil ensign was also used as the consular flag, as decreed on 18 February 1869. It came into use on 1 August 1869. (Legations, however, flew the black-and-gold flag of Austria alongside the red-white-green flag of Hungary, while embassies flew the two national flags alongside the imperial standard.)^[7]
• Until 1918, the Empire’s k.u.k. War Fleet continued to carry the Austrian ensign it had used since 1786 and the regiments of the k.u.k. Army carried the double-eagle banners they had used before 1867, as they had a long history in many cases. New ensigns created in 1915 were not implemented due to the ongoing war.

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  Civil ensign 1786–1869^[10]
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  Civil ensign 1869–1918^[11]
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  Unofficial Hungarian civil ensign used on Transleithania inland waters^[10]

Additionally, several flags were in use within the local territories of Austria-Hungary.

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  Visit of Emperor Franz Joseph I in Zagreb, red-white-blue (Croatian) flags, 1895
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  Civil ensign and Austrian pennants on a French illustration advertising the Hungarian pavilion during Exposition Universelle in Paris, 1900
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  Black-yellow flag with coat of arms of Austria-Hungary, 1900
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  Flags and banners from Hugo Gerard Ströhl‘s “Oesterreichisch-Ungarische Wappenrolle”, 1900
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  Numismatic postcard designed by German businessman (Hugo Semmler) from 1900 with the Civil Ensign
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  Emperor Franz Joseph I in Merano (black-yellow flag), 1900
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  Bohinj tunnel opening ceremony (two-color flags), 1906
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  Military base of Austro-Hungarian Army (two-color flag), 1910
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  Poster from Österreichischer Lloyd showing the civil ensign and the company’s logo on a navy blue flag, 1910
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  SS Carniola – Austro-Hungarian civilian steamship with civil ensign, 1912
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  Separate Austrian team at the 1912 Summer Olympics with unidentified flag
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  Separate Hungarian team at the 1912 Summer Olympics with Hungarian three-color flag
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  Military parade in Vienna (two-color flags), 1913

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  Imperial Standard on the car of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, 1914
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  Soldiers of Infanterieregiment Nr. 17 with two-color flag, 1914

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  Austro-Hungarian propaganda poster encouraging to buy war bonds
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  World War I-era propaganda postcards depicting the flags of the Central Powers. The Austro-Hungarian flag shown as black-yellow
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  A propaganda postcard commemorating the release of the Przemyśl fortress. Austria-Hungary represented by the black-yellow and red-white-green flags, 1915
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  Another Central Powers propaganda, with Austria-Hungary being represented by a mix of both Habsburg and Hungarian flags
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  Copy of the naval ensign taken by the Italian army from the submarine U12 at the Piave river mouths on 5 August 1915 (exposed in Museo Storico Navale, Venice).
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  Emperor Charles I visiting Pergine (two- and three-color flags), 1917
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  Vienna Praterstrasse, 1917
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  Emperor Charles I visiting troops in Ozhydiv (two- and three-color flags), 1917

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  Emperor Charles I in front of the Hungarian flag, 1917

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  Emperor Charles I visiting one of the villages in South Tyrol (two-color flag), 1917
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  SMS Gäa – Austro-Hungarian torpedo carrier with naval ensign, World War I period