The coat of arms of the federal capital Vienna shows a white cross in a pointed red shield. This form of the coat of arms may be used by anyone. The coat of arms in the form of a breast shield in the figure of a black eagle armed with gold is reserved for use by the bodies of the municipality of Vienna and the province of Vienna. The earliest evidence of the Viennese coat of arms can be found on the so-called "Viennese pennies" from the late 13th century. They already show the barred cross characteristic of Vienna, which probably derives from the imperial storm banner that has been documented since the end of the 12th century.
When Archduke Albrecht VI fought his imperial brother, Frederick III, in 1461 in the dispute over the Austrian Danube lands, he attempted to capture Vienna, which was not supported by the emperor. However, the attack was repulsed. The emperor expressed his gratitude by allowing the city of Vienna to bear the golden double-headed eagle adorned with the imperial crown in a black field instead of the golden single-headed eagle already in use. Only a few years after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, on April 29, 1925, this coat of arms was abolished and it was stipulated that the white barred cross in red could be used "either alone or in the figure of the coat of arms holder". Between 1934 and 1945, the double-headed eagle coat of arms was used again.
The colors of the federal capital Vienna are red and white. The flag of the federal capital Vienna consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width; the upper one is red, the lower one is white. The ratio of the height of the flag to its length is two to three. The inclusion of the simple Viennese coat of arms in the provincial flag of Vienna has become customary.
External information: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiener_Wappen
