Poland Poland was a country in Europe , located between Germany and Russia . Early history . The Sidhe , an interdimensional species , inspired the legendary Leshy in Polish folklore . ( PROSE : " Autumn Mist " ) In 705 , there was a dragon in the Polish city of Krakow . It was defeated by the Doctor . ( PROSE : " Only Human " ) In the 1580s , John Dee and Edward Kelley visited Poland during their tour of Europe . ( PROSE : " Managra " ) In the 19th century , Poland was controlled by Russia , but was at one point taken over by Napoléon Bonaparte . In 1812 , Bonaparte invaded Russia in anticipation of a Russian attempt to retake Poland , but was defeated by the Russians . ( AUDIO : " Mother Russia " , " A Thousand Tiny Wings " ) At some point in the 19th century , Poland was governed by a Viceroy , who was known , among other things , for his liaisons with Lola Montez . ( AUDIO : " Whiskey and Water " ) In 1887 , Polish ophthalmologist Zamenhof invented the constructed language Esperanto , intending it to be the universal language of peace . ( PROSE : " Legacy of the Daleks " ) 20th century . During the 20th century , the capital of Poland was Warsaw . ( PROSE : " " ) Poland , which had not been an independent country for some time at that point , was recreated by the Allies in the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I in 1918 . ( PROSE : " " ) The Nazi s saw it as a state created in a draconian treaty in order to punish the Germans . Many Germans lived in Poland ( AUDIO : " Just War " ) Prior to World War II , Adolf Hitler defied the Versailles Treaty by reoccupying the Rhineland . Winston Churchill thus grew fearful of Hitler ' s plans for Czechoslovakia , Poland and , in time , all of Europe . ( PROSE : " Players " ) Before the outbreak of the war in September 1939 , the Soviet Union signed a non - aggression pact with Nazi Germany . ( AUDIO : " An Eye For Murder " ) The pact stipulated that Poland be split between Germany and the USSR . Hitler hoped this would keep the Soviets off Germany ' s back but fully intended to attack them eventually . ( PROSE : " " ) When Germany invaded the country on 1 September 1939 , an event which was recorded by the Matrix as being a part of the Web of Time , ( AUDIO : " Neverland " ) they effectively started the War . The Soviet Union also participated in the invasion , as per their previous agreement with Hitler . ( PROSE : " " ) The invasion lasted a month . Brigadier Kraus gained a reputation during the invasion as the Butcher of Krakow . ( PROSE : " Illegal Alien " ) On 3 September 1939 , the United Kingdom and Germany entered into a state of war because Adolf Hitler ' s Nazi government did not withdraw his troops from Poland . ( PROSE : " " ) After the war ended in 1945 , Poland was ruled by Communists . ( AUDIO : " The Curse of the Fugue " , COMIC : " The Broken Man " ) In 1976 , two Polish priest s who were members of the Order of Saint Peter pursued the last known European vampire to Los Angeles . ( AUDIO : " Minuet in Hell " ) In 1989 , the Communist regime in Poland was overthrown , and Poland became a democracy . ( COMIC : " The Broken Man " ) According to Lucie Miller , this was due to a " bloke with big bushy moustache " saving the day . ( AUDIO : " The Curse of the Fugue " ) By the 1990s , Polish troops , including Sergeant Zbrigniev , were members of the United Kingdom branch of UNIT . ( TV : " Battlefield " ) 21st century . In the 21st century , Poland joined the European Union ( AUDIO : " The Curse of the Fugue " ) and many Poles emigrated to the United Kingdom ( TV : " Day One " ) – like Trepper , who worked at the ATMOS factory ( TV : " The Sontaran Stratagem " ) or the family of Matteusz Andrzejewski , a student at the Coal Hill Academy . ( TV : " For Tonight We Might Die " ) At some point in the 21st century , Poland was in economic crisis . Cities like Elbląg and Kalisz faced vast unemployment , with many people having limited access to such basic commodities as fresh water , food and petrol . Many Poles sought work in Eurozone countries such as the United Kingdom as illegal immigrants . Some of them , like Stefan Radek , were kidnapped and experimented upon by Alex Marlowe who tried to genetically engineer a new strain of Krynoid . ( AUDIO : " Hothouse " ) Later history . In the 22nd century , the Wronsdehj conquered Poland , along with the Czech Republic , Austria , Germany , Italy and France . They were eventually defeated by the Fourth Doctor and Romana I . ( PROSE : " Life from Lifelessness " ) Background . According to the official SJA website the mirror drone was found by Sarah Jane Smith in Sosnowiecz , Poland in 2002 . The correct spelling of the city ' s name is actually Sosnowiec . Some Polish historical figures appear or are mentioned in " Doctor Who " stories , but are not identified as Polish in - universe , like Nicholas Copernicus ( TV : " City of Death " ) or Bronisław Huberman ( AUDIO : " String Theory " ) .