Franz Jonas

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

Franz Jonas
President of Austria
In office 9 June 1965 – 24 April 1974
Chancellor	Josef Klaus Bruno Kreisky
Preceded by	Adolf Schärf
Succeeded by	Rudolf Kirchschläger
Mayor of Vienna
In office 18 June 1951 – 9 June 1965
Preceded by	Theodor Körner
Succeeded by	Bruno Marek
Personal details
Born	4 October 1899 Floridsdorf, Austria-Hungary (present-day Vienna)
Died	24 April 1974 (aged 74) Vienna, Austria
Nationality	Austrian
Political party	Social Democratic Party of Austria
Spouse(s)	Margarete 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.

He 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 he 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

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