▁Germany ' s ▁Eastern ▁Front ▁col lapsed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁Sp ind ler ▁and ▁other ▁children ▁of ▁Ł ód ź ▁were ▁ev acu ated ▁to ▁a ▁rural ▁estate ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁compan ions ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁fle e ▁west ▁on ▁foot ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁adv ancing ▁Red ▁Army ; ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁killed ▁by ▁star v ation , ▁expos ure , ▁or ▁bomb ing ▁ra ids . ▁Sp ind ler ▁was ▁eventually ▁reun ited ▁with ▁his ▁family ▁in ▁Mag de burg , ▁and ▁they ▁settled ▁in ▁Wei ßen f els , ▁Sax ony - An halt , ▁which ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁occupation ▁zone ▁and ▁later ▁East ▁Germany . ▁He ▁was ▁black list ed ▁from ▁att ending ▁university ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁anti - S ov iet ▁views , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁was ▁granted ▁permission ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁Australia , ▁spons ored ▁by ▁a ▁relative ▁who ▁had ▁settled ▁in ▁Melbourne . ▁ ▁In ▁Australia , ▁Sp ind ler ▁became ▁an ▁app rent ice ▁with ▁a ▁painting ▁and ▁decor ating ▁company . ▁He ▁became ▁an ▁Australian ▁citiz en ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁After ▁comple ting ▁his ▁app rent ices hip , ▁he ▁opened ▁his ▁own ▁business , ▁which ▁rapidly ▁grew ▁in ▁size . ▁He ▁also ▁began ▁studying ▁part - time ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Melbourne , ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁La ws ▁degree ▁in ▁