Crainfeld advantageously lay at the crossroads of two important mediaeval trade roads, and was moreover until 1821 the seat of a court district, witnessed even today by the Edelhof, the Amt building used by the Oberschultheißen (roughly "sheriffs") when the Landgraves held sway in Hesse.
Crainfeld's unique position at the intersection of two major medieval trade routes and its history as a court district until 1821 are significant. The Edelhof building, used by the sheriffs (Oberschultheißen), remains a reminder of the area's importance during the time of the Landgraves in Hesse.