Coat of arms of Austria
The current coat of arms of Austria has been in use by the Republic of Austria since 1919. Between 1934 and the 1938 Austria used a different coat of arms. It had a double-headed eagle. In 1945 the original coat of arms returned, with broken chains added to show Austria's freedom.
| Coat of arms of Austria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Versions | |
 First Republic, 1919–1934 | |
.svg) Federal State ("Corporate" State) 1934–1938 | |
| Details | |
| Armiger | Republic of Austria |
| Adopted | 1945 |
| Crest | A mural crown Or |
| Escutcheon | Gules, a fess argent (arms of the Duchy of Austria, flag of Austria) |
| Supporters | An eagle sable gambed Or displayed |
| Other elements | The eagle bears a sickle Or in dexter talon and a hammer Or in sinister talon. The gambs also bear broken iron chains. |
| Earlier versions | As current version but without broken chains (1919–1934), Imperial-style double headed eagle (1934–1938) |
Symbolism
The symbols and emblems used in the Austrian arms are as follows:
- The Eagle: Austria's freedom (introduced 1919)
- The escutcheon Emblem of Austria (late Middle Ages, reintroduced 1915)
- The mural crown: The middle class (introduced 1919)
- The sickle: Agriculture (introduced 1919)
- The Hammer: Industry (introduced 1919)
- The broken chains: Freedom from National Socialist dictatorship (added 1945)
