The Trappist order was established in 1664 in France, when Abbot Rance reformed the Order of Cistercians – that is why Trappists are also called Reformed Cistercians or »Order of Cistercians of Strict Observance«. In 1880, the French authorities dissolved the Notre Dame Des Dombes Monastery near Lyon. The monks from this Monastery found a new home in Castle Rajhenburg. Using brother Gabriel Giraud's money, they bought the Castle from Count Esebeck and made it into the Monastery of St Mary the Saviour. The Monastery was initially established as a Priory, and in 1891, it was elevated to the status of Abbey. The first two Abbots were French, but the third was a Slovene, Pij Novak. The Trappists are known as an extremely strict, contemplative order. They lived according to the motto ORA ET LABORA – pray and work. Their work day begun at one or two in the morning and went on for 17 more hours, consisting of prayers, work, penance, meditation and study. They spent the entire day together, like a family, but were not allowed to talk with each other. The vow of silence was one of the strictest proscriptions of the order. All of these characteristics were incarnated in the Trappists of Rajhenburg. Initially, the Monastery only housed French monks. It was not long before young Slovenian men began joining their ranks. Upon entering the order, they had to decide whether they would study to become priests or work as brothers, who were labourers. Schooling took place in the Monastery, with the monks themselves serving as teachers. After completing their studies they had to complete a two-year novitiate, a time of special tests, to prove that they were able to live in the Monastery and accept the harsh code of the order. After passing the novitiate, they made »temporary vows«, after which they had to join the army. Upon their return from military service, they began preparation to make »solemn vows«, while the vicars continued their schooling to become priests. One of the chief rules of the Trappist monks was that everything they needed in their daily lives, they had to make by themselves. They were involved in numerous sectors of industry – agriculture, livestock breeding, fruit farming, beekeeping, herbalism, horticulture and floriculture, as well as having various workshops. They began the industrial production of quality chocolate, chocolate candy and liqueurs as early as 1896. Their products were sold across all of Europe, even to the Emperor's court in Vienna. Emperor Franz Joseph presented them with an award for the quality of their products and the title of IMPERIAL, as well as the sign of the lion, both of which became the trademarks of their products. In 1896, for the purposes of powering their machines, they built an electric power plant, the first direct current power plant in the region of Lower Styria (Spodnja Štajerska). Electric cables were laid down, connecting their factory and the Castle to the power plant, and in the same year, they even acquired a telephone. They had their own printing press, and they even imported Chinese tea. During the Second World War, German troops occupied the Castle and dissolved the Monastery. 35 Trappists were exiled to the Independent State of Croatia, finding refuge in the Trappist Monastery Mary Star (Marija Zvezda) in Banja Luka. They returned after the war, but the Monastery was dissolved in 1947, the order abolished and the Castle nationalised. Some monks left for other Monasteries, even to other countries, some continued working as priests in the towns and villages around Styria (Štajerska), while others hung up their robes and returned to secular lives.