<P> The Babenberg family colors developed to the coat of arms of their Austrian possessions . After the dynasty had become extinct with Frederick's death at the 1246 Battle of the Leitha River, they were adopted by his Přemyslid successor King Ottokar II of Bohemia . Upon the 1278 Battle on the Marchfeld the colours were assumed by the victorious House of Habsburg and gradually became the coat of arms of the dynasty's Hereditary Lands within the Habsburg Monarchy . </P> <P> According to legend, the flag was invented by Duke Leopold V of Austria as a consequence of his fighting during the Siege of Acre . After a fierce battle, his white surcoat was completely drenched in blood . When he removed his belt, the cloth beneath remained unstained, revealing the combination of red - white - red . So taken was he by this singular sight that he adopted the colors and scheme as his banner . The incident was documented as early as 1260, though it is highly unlikely . </P> <P> In fact, the war flag of the Holy Roman Empire during the Crusades was a silver cross on a red field quite similar to the later Austrian arms . This ensign was used by the Austrian capital Vienna from the late 13th century onwards . </P> <P> Since the days of Rudolph of Habsburg and the 1283 Treaty of Rheinfelden, the combination of red - white - red was widely considered to be the Austrian (later also Inner Austrian) colours used by the ruling Habsburg dynasty . However, the national flag (in a modern sense) of the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy, like the later Austrian Empire and the Cisleithanian part of Austria - Hungary until 1918, was black - yellow . These were the family colours of the Imperial House of Habsburg, and were themselves in part derived from the banner of the Holy Roman Empire . </P>

What do the colors of the austrian flag mean