Born in Frankfurt shortly after the Napoleon invasion of Germany, Jonas von Königswarter decided to settle in Vienna, where he became the head of the banking-house founded by his uncle Hermann Königswarter, who had left no son. His business prospered; and the bank came to be ranked among the leading institutions of Austria. As a natural consequence, Königswarter was called upon to fill high public offices. In 1838 he became examiner of Austria's central bank Oesterreichische Nationalbank, and in 1850 director of that institution. Later he was elected to a directorship in the Oesterreichische Creditgesellschaft, the Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway, the , and the , and he served as president of the last-named railroad for many years. He was also a member of the advisory committee of the Wiener Börse, and president of the Jewish congregation of the city.