Franz Jonas

Summary

Franz Josef Jonas (4 October 1899 – 24 April 1974) was an Austrian politician who served as the President of Austria between 1965 and 1974.

Franz Jonas
President of Austria
In office
9 June 1965 – 24 April 1974
ChancellorJosef Klaus
Bruno Kreisky
Preceded byAdolf Schärf
Succeeded byRudolf Kirchschläger
Mayor and Governor of Vienna
In office
18 June 1951 – 9 June 1965
Preceded byTheodor Körner
Succeeded byBruno Marek
Personal details
Born(1899-10-04)4 October 1899
Floridsdorf, Austria-Hungary (present-day Vienna)
Died24 April 1974(1974-04-24) (aged 74)
Vienna, Austria
Political partySocial Democratic Party of Austria
SpouseMargarete Jonas

He was a typesetter by profession and a member of the Social Democratic Party of Austria. After World War II, he got involved in Viennese communal politics and was mayor of Vienna from 1951 to 1965. From 1965, he was federal president and was re-elected in 1971.

Jonas was a fervent supporter of Esperanto, and starting in 1923, became a long-time instructor of the language. His address to the 1970 World Congress of Esperanto, which was held in Vienna, was delivered in Esperanto.[1]

In 1974, he died in office, the fourth consecutive president to do so.

In Vienna, a large tram station officially called Schottentor which was built when he was mayor is colloquially named after him (Jonas-Reindl, which translates as Jonas bowl).

In 1966, Jonas was awarded the Grand Cross of The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav with Collar, and in 1969 the Pierre de Coubertin medal.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ Eŭropa Bulteno de Ondo de Esperanto Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine (Europe Bulletin of Wave of Esperanto)
  2. ^ Newsletter No. 22, Comité international olympique, Château de Vidy 1007 Lausanne, p. 402
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor and Governor of Vienna
1951–1965
Succeeded by
Bruno Marek
Preceded by President of Austria
1965–1974
Succeeded by