Claim: The Austrian Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy, with yellow and black bars, was approved for use as a civil flag at the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1804.
Evidence: A horizontal bicolour of black and yellow. In the 18th century, the simpler form with the yellow and black bars started to appear in the Habsburg Monarchy. With the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1804, this flag was approved for use as a civil flag.