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Francis II Rákóczi
Leader of the 1703–1711 war of independence against the Habsburgs (1676–1735), who spent his last years in Ottoman Tekirdağ.
From one of Hungary's greatest noble families, Francis II Rákóczi led the war of independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–1711.
After defeat he went into exile and in 1717 found refuge in the Ottoman Empire, where the sultan allowed him and his companions to live in Rodosto (Tekirdağ) on the Sea of Marmara; he died there in 1735.
The Rákóczi Museum in Tekirdağ is a symbol of Hungarian–Turkish friendship, and Rákóczi is a national hero in Hungary.
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Updated: October 3, 2026