The only remaining Cistercian monastery run by Trappist monks in the Balkans was established in 1869 by Father Franz Pfanner.
In a sermon in front of about 500 faithful in the monastery's church, Bishop Komarica said among other things that under Father Pfanner, the Trappist monks, hailing from 12 European nations, represented a united Europe before the concept of it was institutionalised.
In 1857, the Trappists built a brewery which is today known as Banja Luka Brewery. Until the end of the Second World War, they manufactured the famous Trappist cheese. Monks in this monastery were the first in the area to use electricity and farm machinery some 120 years ago. They also established a local plant producing pasta, a cloth factory, and led workshops in which thousands of local poor children of Islamic, Serb Orthodox and Catholic faith learnt trades.
Between the two World Wars there were some 300 monks in the monastery, where about 4,000 people found jobs. At the moment, there are only three monks.