Länderwappen

Coats of Arms, Provincial. Every Austrian province has its own coat of arms based on historical events, as well as national colours which stem from these coats of arms.

Burgenland: established in 1922; a red eagle with open wings, a golden crown and arms on a rock, inside a golden shield. A shield, edged in gold, on the eagle´s breast with red colour and fur. One black cross in each upper corner of the golden shield. National colours: red and gold. The coat of arms of Burgenland was taken from the two most powerful dynasties of the Middle Ages, the Counts of Mattersdorf-Forchtenstein and the Counts of Güssing-Bernstein.

Carinthia: provincial constitutional law of 1930; a shield with one golden and one red-coloured half; three black lions, one on top of the other, with red tongues and red arms in the golden half; a silver beam in the middle of the red-coloured half. National colours: gold, red and white. Ulrich III and Philipp of the dynasty of Sponheim first used this coat of arms; adopted by Otakar II of Bohemia in 1269 and by the Habsburgs in 1335.

Lower Austria: provincial constitutional law of 1920; 5 golden eagles on a blue shield, 2 of them turned to the right, 3 to the left; a golden crown with 3 merlons on top of the shield (formerly the archduke´s crown). National colours: blue and gold. First documentary mention of the coat of arms with 5 eagles in 1335. Rudolf IV adopted it as coat of arms for Imperial Austria. The eagles were taken for larks in the 16^th century.

Upper Austria:>/I> provincial constitutional law of 1930; a shield with one black half, a golden eagle with a red tongue and red claws in the black half. The other half has two red and two silver stripes. The archduke´s crown is on top of the shield. National colours: white and red. This coat of arms was created by Rudolf IV according to the model of the Lords of Machland. First documentary mention of the coloured shield around 1390.

Salzburg:>/I> provincial law of 1921; a shield with one golden and one red-coloured half; a black lion with a red tongue in the left half, a silver beam in the right half. A Prince´s crown on top of the shield. National colours: red and white. This coat of arms was first documented on a Friesach coin of Archbishop Rudolf (1284-1290) and was commonly used in the 14^th century. It can probably be traced back to the Carinthian Archbishop Philipp (1247-1256).

Styria: provincial constitutional law of 1926; a green shield with a silver-coloured panther with red horns and claws, spewing flames. The historical duke´s crown is on top of the shield; national colours: white and green. First documentary mention of this coat of arms on the seal of Margrave Otakar II in the 12^th century, was used by the Babenbergs as well. First documentary mention of the coloured coat of arms in 1246.

Tyrol: established in 1946; a silver shield with a red eagle wearing a golden crown and claws, the ends of the wings are shamrock-shaped, a green garland behind the head. National colours: white and red. First documentary mention of the eagle on seals in 1205, first documentary mention of the coloured version in 1340.

Vorarlberg: established in 1923; a silver shield with a red church flag with black fringes, hanging on 3 red rings, 2 thin black lines cross the upper part of the flag and 3 thin black lines cross each of the 3 lower parts of the flag. National colours: red and white. The coat of arms can be traced back to the Lords of Montfort, first documentary mention in 1181.

Vienna: the coat of arms was established in 1925 and renewed in 1946; it depicted a red shield with a silver cross. The colours were white and red. Since 1998 (LGBl. 1998/10) it shows a red shield with a white cross and also appears in the form of a black eagle with golden decorations wearing the red shield with a white cross on his breast. The colours are red and white.

Literature: F. Gall, Ö. Wappenkunde, 1977; P. Diem, Die Symbole Österreichs, 1995.