The '
(Imperial flag) was a field ensign of the Holy Roman Empire, originally an equestrian flag or gonfalon. 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. In the 12th century, the ' apparently showed a white cross on a red field. 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 ''''. Thus,
king Sigismund gave the banner to the
Swiss Confederacy, sanctioning their war against the
Habsburgs in 1415. In the late medieval period, the cross design of the '
was replaced by the Imperial eagle. It was treated as an Imperial fief traditionally granted to Swabian nobles. In 1336, it was granted to Ulrich III, Count of Württemberg. On this occasion, it was first referred to as the ' ("Imperial War Flag"). It remained part of the heraldic insignia of the
House of Württemberg until the 19th century. The flag itself was kept in
Stuttgart until 1944, when it was destroyed in a
bombing raid. The flag showed the imperial eagle in a square field, with a red '
(pennon) on top. It is not to be confused with the ', granted to the
Electors of Saxony in their function as ''''. This latter flag showed two crossed swords in a black and white field. == Free Imperial Cities ==