Darius von Güttner Sporzyński shares story of journey from refugee to university director

Darius von Güttner Sporzyński has shared the story of his journey from a refugee in Italy to an academic director at a university in Rome. Nearly 50 years ago, Sporzyński and his family fled Poland to escape the rise of communism and strict state controls. They arrived at the Roberto Rossi Longhi Refugee Camp in Latina, Italy, which served as a transition point for approximately 100,000 people from the Soviet Bloc seeking relocation to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sporzyński, who was in his early teens when his family reached the camp, eventually moved to Australia. Decades later, his journey returned to Italy, where he now serves as an academic director. Speaking to Vatican News, he described the family's escape from Poland as a journey that could never be repeated, noting that his parents told the children they were traveling on a holiday to explain the nighttime journey.