Church Borderland of Cracow and Wrocław Diocese in Silesia at the Turn of thel9th Century

The issue includes the territory of the decanates of Bytorn and Pszczyna in Upper Silesia and the decanates of Siewierz and Lelów in the region of Częstochowa and New Silesia. All these decanates used to belong to the Cracow diocese although most of them were beyond the borders of Poland. Until 1741 all Silesia was under the Austrian rule. It was only after the Silesian war between Prussia and Austria in 1741 that Silesia was subjected to the Prussian rule. Soon after the first partition, on January 4, 1773, the Prussian authorities demanded that the Cracow bishop Kajetan Sołtyk grant powers for the Bytom and Pszczyna decanates. Finally, territorial affiliation of these two decanates was decided in the years 1816-1821. Talks were held then between Nibuhr, plenipotentiary of the Prussian government and cardinal Consalvi, representative of the Holy See, concerning reorganization of church administration in Prussia. By the powers of the papal bulla De salutare animarum of July 16, 1821 the decanates of Bytom and Pszczyna were incorporated into the Wroclaw diocese