 During World War II, the Bakonyi family lived in Bordighera, a city occupied by Nazi forces.Stefano Bakonyi became involved in the international language movement, first as an Esperantist and later, in turn, as an Idist, an Occidentalist, and an Interlinguist.Among his publications was a book about Interlingua and the history of universal language titled "Civilization e Lingua Universal".