Castle Waldeck within the limits of the village of Dorweiler in Dommershausen in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district) in Rhineland-Palatinate was the main seat of the Hunsrück Family Boos.
The ruin lies high above the Baybach valley. William I of Heinzenberg built the fortress in 1150 and, in so doing, established the "Boos-Waldeck" house which was later to become widespread.
The mediaeval castle endured several wars, and was partially destroyed by the French (1689) in the course of the Nine Years' War (known in Germany as the Pfälzischer Erbfolgekrieg, or War of the Palatine Succession).
The first documentary mention of the castle complex (within the area of the today's ruins) originates from the year 1243. In that document, the knights Heribert, Udo (Rudolf) and Winand (surnames Boos von Waldeck, Boose of Walthecce) officially received ownership rights. Around 1250 Rudolf (Udo) Boos von Waldeck built the bailey. The two parts of the castle are cited in a document in 1285.
The castle was in use until 1833 when the family of Boos von Waldeck sold its holdings in the Rhineland.
The first documentary mention of the castle complex (within the range of the today's ruins) originates from the year 1243. The knights Heribert, Udo, and Winand (Boos von Waldeck) enfeoffed the Archbishop of Cologne, Konrad von Hochstaden with their own castle.
The archbishop authorized the family to act as landlords of the area, through commercial contracts with Cologne, thus establishing the aristocratic line of the family that endured until 1833. This main seat would be the central administration of mills, offices, and the residence for barons, counts, and noble visitors during the summer. Political connections through deals, commerce and military control against the French guaranteed almost six hundred years of influence.
The surname Boos is related to ancient mediaeval German words meaning "lead", "nobleman", or "angry", possibly used to indicate the residents of the castle, hence the name variation "Castle of Boos-Waldeck" seen in some documents. In French it is cited as the castle of "Bois Walthecce" or "Boosse de Walthecce".
Below, toward the valley, the bailey was established, possibly as coheirs' castle houses. It is accepted also that the bailey was built around 1250 by the aforesaif Rudolf (Udo). Some documents cite the two sections of the building in 1285. Only in the last few years could the remnants of this lowest castle part be identified.
With the new building of the Comital-Palatine tower, the castle then consisted of three parts: a new tower, that was built over the past two castles (today the so-called upper castle) and two baileys: the old upper (the current bailey) and the old bailey.
1124 First mention of Archbishop Konrad about "Waldeck area" .
1242 The knights Heribert, Udo (Rudolf) and Winand (Boos of Waldeck) buy the rights to use their assets from the Archbishop of Cologne.
1250 Building of the bailey by Rudolf Boos von Waldeck.
1325 First well-known attempt to host multiple families (coheirs) of the castle was regulated. Beside the sex of the Waldeckers, in three lines (Winandsche, Rudolfsche and Boos´sche (Heribert's) line) were also the families of Winningen, Metz, Sabershausen (since 1398).
1331-36 The knights of the castles Eltz and Boos-Waldeck set up a resistance force of 50 knights against the arrival of Archbishop Baldwin, but were defeated near Gegenburgen.
1361 The brothers Johann and Emmerich Boos von Waldeck recognize the authority of the Archbishop of Cologne, which was acknowledged as a chivalrous, but would not give any access to the castle.
1370 Johann IV Boos von Waldeck (d. 1370) married Else of Montfort. The great-grandchild of this married couple, Simon Boos von Waldeck, received earnings, until 1480, the ruin of Montfort (nearby). Henceforth the descendants of this bloodline would be called “Boos von Waldeck und Montfort”.
1398 Ruprecht from Pfalz conquered the castle, after Johann Boos von Waldeck had died. In the peace treaty of March 29, Ruprecht was granted access for living in the new tower, to keep occupied "on the neck" (thus on the upper castle). Thus the authority of the Palatinate became a neighbour enhancing the influence of the family in the business of the region.
1469 Geopolitical changes partially affect the administration.
1557 Beside the Boos von Waldeck there are only two families living in the castle (von Metz and the Counts Palatine).
1689 The French partially destroy the castle.
1720 Colonel William Lothar Baron Boos von Waldeck, who lived in Koblenz, settled a summer house on the bailey.
1833 The Boos von Waldeck, facing new geopolitical trends after the Napoleonic Wars, sold all its holdings in the Rhineland, thus also the newly built Boos-Waldeck Castle.
1850 Part of the landmarks, support stones, were removed from the castle to build other houses on the yard area, accelerating the decaying process and the building became the ruin.