Livonian Order
Embūte has been known since the end of 1244, when the Curonian wooden castle () was taken over by the master of the Livonian Order Dietrich von Grüningen. In 1245 during war with Livonian Order, castle was attacked by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Mindaugas, but it was not taken. According to the chronicle of Herman Wartberg in 1253 castle was given to the Bishop of Courland. It came in the hands of the Livonian Order for a short period, but in the end of the thirteenth century it again belonged to the bishop. In 1265 master of the Livonian Order Konrad von Mandern built a stone castle 0.5 km south of the former Curonian wooden castle as a border castle with Lithuania.