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
ChancellorJosef Klaus
Bruno Kreisky
Preceded byAdolf Schärf
Succeeded byRudolf Kirchschläger
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
NationalityAustrian
Political partySocial 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
Political offices
Preceded by
Theodor Körner
Mayor of Vienna
19511965
Succeeded by
Bruno Marek

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