Red Velvet Layer Cake from We Take The Cake (Photo: courtesy of We Take The Cake)
Slim Paley did a wonderful post today about red and white stripes. I very much enjoyed her reflections, as lingering emotions from the 4th of July made me think of my motherland Austria. Its national flag is comprised of red, white and red stripes, at times with the coat of arms in form of an eagle holding a sickle, representing agriculture, and and a hammer, corresponding to industry. Slim had such a wonderful collection of those red and white stripes in many application from nature, to clothing, to interiors. So I thought of what I missed the most, the the food, the beautiful landscape, inspiring architecture and history; and then I remembered how the history of the Austrian flag. Ever wonder how many flag designs became about? Certainly most of them were not designed by artists, but were rather the result of certain circumstances.
Austrian flag at the parliament in Vienna, Austria (Photo: Vera Le Bail)
The Austrian flag for example has somewhat a sanguine history. Legend has it that Duke Leopold V’s white battle coat was drenched in blood after a fierce battle during the Crusades. After removing his belt the white of the coat was revealed showing a combination of red white and red. This persuaded him to adopt the colors and arrangement in his banner.
Duke Leopold V “The Virtuous” of Babenberg receives the banner from the Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa after the battle of Akkon (Image: Stift Klosterneuburg)
Austria may no longer be a grand empire, but the flag remains. In return to Slim’s post about red and white stripes, Austria is not alone. Also Peru, Lebanon and French Polynesia sport those combinations.
Cheers,
