Flags of the Holy Roman Empire

Taking the colours of the banner of the Holy Roman Emperor, the flag of the Austrian Empire was black and gold.

When the Holy Roman Empire took part in the Crusades, a war flag was flown alongside the black-gold imperial banner.

In northern Italy, during the conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines in the 12th to 14th centuries, the armies of the Ghibelline (pro-imperial) communes adopted the war banner of the Holy Roman Emperor (white cross on red) as their own, while the Guelph (anti-imperial) communes reversed the colours (red cross on white).

These two schemes are prevalent in the modern civic heraldry of northern Italian towns and remains a revealing indicator of their past factional leanings.

An early bearer was Werner I, count of Winterthur, who carried the flag for Conrad II and Henry III and who died in the battle at Brůdek in 1040.

It was the sign of the united armed forces of the Empire until the late 15th century, but it could be sent by the king to local lords to sanction them in their defense of Landfrieden.

The flag showed the imperial eagle in a square field, with a red Schwenkel (pennon) on top.