We carried out an integrated paleomagnetic and structural study in the Transdanubian Range, western and central Hungary. As a result, the Tertiary tectonic history of this area can be characterized by three events of counterclockwise (CCW) rotation and four or five phases of brittle deformation. The change of the orientation of stress axes between phases is mainly apparent and reflects the rotation of the faults predating a particular rotation event. The first two rotation events (R1 and R2) were probably governed by the rollback mechanism of the subducting European plate. We suggest that these rotations were taking place from 18–17 and 16–14.5 Ma, respectively, i.e. simultaneously with the rotations of the North Hungarian Paleogene Basin and the main part of the Western Carpathians. However, the angle of both rotations was less in the Transdanubian Range due to increasing distance from the subduction front. The differential rotation was accommodated by extensional faulting by formation of a graben system. On the other hand, the youngest rotation event R3 seems to be connected to the renewed rotation of the Adriatic plate around 5 Ma. Our combined data set strongly supports earlier conclusions, namely, that the different subunits of the Eastern Alpine–Western Carpathian–Northern Pannonian unit (Alcapa) did not form a rigid unit, although they moved in similar manner.