Margarete "Grete" Jonas (née Towarek; 13 June 1898 â 7 August 1976) was an Austrian public figure who served as First Lady of Austria from 1965 to 1974 during the presidency of her husband, Franzâ¯Jonas. Fluent in German, English and Czech, she accompanied the president on numerous foreign trips, including the 1966 state visit to the United Kingdom - the first by an Austrian head of state.