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
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)