Last modified: 2022-12-27 by martin karner
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This part of the report concerns ensigns on Austrian (Hapsburg) ships
before 1786. This report is heavily based on my paper prepared for the
XXI ICV in Buenos Aires, 2005 [Heimer, 2005]. It is to be noted that
these flags were not regulated with any precision of the design that
we may think of for flags today, so mostly only the general pattern was
followed (even when they were regulated more precisely). Also, the ensign was
the responsibility of the ship's captain and he was ordering it from a flag maker -
both the captain and maker took great liberty in interpreting the
design.
Željko Heimer, 24 September 2007
See also:
![[17th Century ensign]](../images/a/ah~1686.gif)
image
by Željko Heimer, 24 September 2007
In 1527 at the Cetingrad assembly the Croatian nobility elected the Austrian
Archduke Ferdinand Hapsburg as the Croatian king after the death of the last
Croato-Hungarian king Ludwig (Ljudevit) II Jagello. The Austrian dynasty thus
gained an exit towards the Adriatic with at least two larger harbours - Rijeka
and Senj. However, like the Hungarian kings before, they had at first very
little interest in the sea, and it was only in the time of Emperor Carl VI
(1685-1740) that the first Austrian ships were built. [Novak, 2004b]
The
basis of the European and international maritime laws until today that
determines that each war ship should fly a flag, a pennant and an admiral's
standard if he is on board is the so called Ordonnance (or the See-Artikel)
that Emperor Maximilian I signed in Brügge on 8th January 1487 [Lehnert, 1886;
Baumgartner, 1977]. However, neither a description nor a depiction of these early
flags exists during almost the next two centuries. It
is only in the reign of Emperor Carl VI that there are hints to what the
flags of the Empire looked like. A copper plate drawing by Romain de Hooghe
of the Turkish siege of the Ofen Fort (i.e. the fort of Buda) in year 1686
shows imperial galleys on the Danube flying the ensigns with a double-headed
eagle without any breast shield, holding a sword and a sceptre in its claws,
with circular nimbuses behind the heads and the Imperial crown above. A copperplate drawing by J. Balzer in the Archducal
Collection that is also dated to the end of the 17th century shows the same flag
(both etchings are preserved in the Albertina Museum in Vienna).
Željko Heimer, 24 September 2007
![[17th Century ensign]](../images/a/ah~1716.gif)
image
by Željko Heimer, 24 September 2007
It is hardly possible to claim that there existed a unique design of the
flag that would be carried on all imperial ships. The obtaining of the flag
was a duty of each captain and he would order and buy flags of a design of his
pleasure and the skill of the manufacturer within the general outline -
golden and black flags with the black double-headed eagle. This was enough to
identify the ship as being under Habsburg rule. The various designs found in
literature include a golden-black bicolour with the eagle in canton [Khuepach, 1941], golden flags with multiple black stripes with
or without the eagle in the centre or in the canton and so on.
Željko Heimer, 24 September 2007
![[17th Century ensign]](../images/a/ah~1730.gif)
image
by Željko Heimer, 24 September 2007
In 1730 Emperor Carl VI issued marine regulations entitled "See-Articuli
und Kriegsgerichts-Instruction für die Marine Seiner kaiserlichen und
katholischen Majesté Carl VI" with a description of the flags. The flag to be
hoisted at the main mast of a ship commanded by an Admiral is yellow with a
black double-headed eagle with escutcheon impaled Austria and Habsburg,
wearing a collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece, nimbuses behind the heads and
the imperial crown above. The flag is bordered with black triangles
[Lehnert, 1886; Baumgartner, 1977]. The same flag is hoisted on the foremast by
a Vice-Admiral and on the rear mast by a Rear-Admiral.
Željko Heimer, 24 September 2007
![[Squadron Commander Pennant]](../images/a/ah~1730c.gif)
image
by Željko Heimer, 24 September 2007
The
See-Articuli also define a "Stendard" or a "breite Wimpel"
to be hoisted from the main mast by a commander of a squadron consisting of at
least three ships.
Željko Heimer, 24 September 2007
![[Squadron Commander Wimpel]](../images/a/ah~1730w.gif)
image
by Željko Heimer, 24 September 2007
The
See-Articuli also define a "Wimpel" or a "Flamme" to be hoisted from the main
mast - a bicolour black-yellow triangular long pennant.
Željko Heimer, 24 September 2007
Sources:
- Baumgartner, Lothar, 1977: Die Entwicklung der
Österreichischen Marineflagge, Militaria Austriaca, Gesellschaft für Österreichische
Heereskunde, Wien, p. 29
- Heimer, Željko, 2005: The Naval Flags on the
Eastern Adriatic, XXI ICV Buenos Aires Vexillobaires 2005 (proceedings in
print)
- Khuepach, Arthur von, 1941: "Interessantes aus der
Österreichisch-ungarischen Kriegsmarine", Marine-Rundschau, nr. 46,
Münch,
Bonn, p. 301
- Lehnert, Josef von, 1886: "Beiträge zur Geschichte der k. k.
Flagge. Vortrag, gehalten im militär-wissenschaftlichen Verein zu Wien am
13. März 1885", Organ der militär-wissenschaftlichen Vereine, nr. 31,
Mayer, Wien, pp. 3-4
- Novak, Grga, 2004b: "Jadransko more u sukobima i
borbama kroz stolječa II. Od 1409. godine do Drugog svjetskog rata", Marjan
tisak, Split