Boundary complexes and weight filtrations

We study the dual complexes of boundary divisors in log resolutions of compactifications of algebraic varieties and show that the homotopy types of these complexes are independent of all choices. Inspired by recent developments in nonarchimedean geometry, we consider relations between these boundary complexes and weight filtrations on singular cohomology and cohomology with compact supports, and give applications to dual complexes of resolutions of isolated singularities that generalize results of Stepanov and Thuillier.