The Rudbārži Estate was built at the request of Baroness Thea von Firks from the aristocratic dynasty.  After a reconstruction in 1883, the building became an ornate example of Mannerism and Renaissance architecture, with decorative finishing and a larger size.  On December 15, 1905, the building was torched by revolutionaries.  The restoration began three years later under the leadership of architect L. Reinier.  The castle has a holiday hall with two marble fireplaces, the parquet in some of the rooms dates back to the early 20th century, and the outdoor doors have metal engravings.  The castle was reconstructed in 1938.  It housed a German field hospital during World War II, while after the war it housed a school for forestry workers.  In 1962, the Rudbārži school moved into the building, which is now named after Oskars Kalpaks.  A commemorative plaque outside the building is devoted to the Kalpaks battalion.  During Latvia’s liberation battles, on January 22, 1919, the Bolsheviks occupied Skrunda, and seven days later, Kalpaks’ battalion attacked from the direction of the Rudbārži Estate.  After a three-hour battle, the victory was won, with the battalion taking over a strategic line near the banks of the Venta River.   This was the first victory for Kalpaks’ men after many retreats, and that inspired the rest of the liberation battles.