In January 1945, he and his companions were forced to flee west on foot to escape the advancing Red Army; many of them were killed by starvation, exposure, or bombing raids.
Spindler was eventually reunited with his family in Magdeburg, and they settled in Weißenfels, Saxony-Anhalt, which became part of the Soviet occupation zone and later East Germany.
He was blacklisted from attending university due to his anti-Soviet views, and at the age of 17 was granted permission to move to Australia, sponsored by a relative who had settled in Melbourne.
[1] Spindler's background as a refugee from World War II Europe influenced what he described asa personal quest to resolve issues related to the Holocaust, reaching a conclusion that a repetition can be prevented only if every human being is respected and treated equally, regardless of race, religion, gender and sexuality.
[2]Spindler was an organiser and candidate for the Australia Party in the 1970s,[3] before joining the Australian Democrats and becoming senior adviser to Don Chipp and Janine Haines.