The full name of the abbey is the Abbey of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Westmalle. The community was founded in 1794 by monks of the Cistercian Order of Strict Observation and received the status of abbey in 1836. The monks of this order are commonly known as Trappists, after the abbey of La Trappe in France. From the end of the 18th century, the monks of Westmalle Abbey devoted themselves to a common life of prayer and work.