The General Vicariate was established after the Silesian Wars in 1770 in the Austrian part of the Wrocław diocese by merging the princely-bishop's commissariats of Cieszyn and Nysa. The article discusses the history of commissariats, the reasons for establishing the general vicariate and a short biography of the vicar general. An attempt was made to obtain the dignity of auxiliary bishop for the vicar general, but this was achieved only once. The rights and duties of the vicar general were defined only indirectly. The combination of the dignity of vicar general with parish duties and the lack of a permanent place for this office caused certain obstacles in its exercise. Over time, the vicar general received his own benefice (he no longer had to be a parish priest) and a permanent seat in Cieszyn. The article mentioned the privileges of the General Vicariate, the composition of the consistory and the staff of the Chancellery. The number of deaneries and parishes increased, but the network of deaneries did not coincide with the administrative borders of the country. In 1910, the number of Catholics was more than twice as large as in 1646. Poor students, graduates and new priests, as well as sick and retired clergy were helped through scholarships and the purchase of religious textbooks. After the division of Cieszyn Silesia between Poland and Czechoslovakia in 1922 and the incorporation of its Polish part into the newly established Katowice diocese in 1925, the General Vicariate ceased to exist.