Segment and Geographic Data (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Oct. 01, 2011	Jul. 02, 2011	Apr. 02, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Oct. 02, 2010	Jul. 04, 2010	Apr. 03, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reporting segments	5								5
Product sales									$ 2,587,396	$ 2,719,311	$ 2,036,323
Royalty revenues									6,633	5,781	5,710
Total revenue	551,391	637,649	709,838	695,151	688,612	694,365	701,655	640,460	2,594,029	2,725,092	2,042,033
Gross Margin	125,656	167,477	212,190	214,663	211,501	218,378	210,593	167,013	719,986	807,485	388,161
Depreciation expense									165,022	169,724	206,009
Interest expense (income)									19,277	11,036	10,321
Capital expenditures									168,641	145,413	50,340
Total Assets	2,993,730				2,966,093				2,993,730	2,966,093	2,719,546
Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes									331,116	405,533	(39,715)
Net earnings attributable to Vishay stockholders	30,952	50,487	82,095	75,287	147,228	89,799	76,659	45,420	238,821	359,106	(57,188)
Diluted earnings per share attributable to Vishay stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.19	$ 0.31	$ 0.48	$ 0.43	$ 0.81	$ 0.47	$ 0.40	$ 0.24	$ 1.42	$ 1.89	$ (0.31)
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Restructuring and severance Costs									0	0	(37,874)
Asset write-downs									0	0	(681)
Executive employment agreement charge	0			0	0	0	0	0	(5,762)	0	(57,824)
Operating Income	33,565	75,333	115,505	122,198	120,583	130,903	101,327	65,125	346,601	417,938	(39,185)
Settlement agreement gain									0	0	28,195
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues	551,391	637,649	709,838	695,151	688,612	694,365	701,655	640,460	2,594,029	2,725,092	2,042,033
Property and equipment, net	907,905				912,114				907,905	912,114
United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									363,847	345,267	312,262
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									363,847	345,267	312,262
Property and equipment, net	136,159				141,309				136,159	141,309
Germany [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									801,539	726,235	544,364
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									801,539	726,235	544,364
Property and equipment, net	125,905				128,549				125,905	128,549
Czech Republic [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Property and equipment, net	53,126				58,545				53,126	58,545
Other Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									175,639	217,099	195,212
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									175,639	217,099	195,212
Property and equipment, net	97,212				96,313				97,212	96,313
Israel [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									219,037	292,025	212,483
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									219,037	292,025	212,483
Property and equipment, net	125,885				121,070				125,885	121,070
Asia [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									1,033,967	1,144,466	777,712
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									1,033,967	1,144,466	777,712
People's Republic of China [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Property and equipment, net	178,877				181,043				178,877	181,043
Republic of China (Taiwan) [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Property and equipment, net	117,450				117,513				117,450	117,513
Other Asia [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Property and equipment, net	71,677				66,093				71,677	66,093
Other Geographic Area [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Property and equipment, net	1,614				1,679				1,614	1,679
MOSFETS Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									537,783	626,498	427,110
Royalty revenues									197	200	71
Total revenue									537,980	626,698	427,181
Gross Margin									125,498	189,209	57,280
Depreciation expense									53,808	51,865	58,762
Interest expense (income)									12	0	23
Capital expenditures									61,520	55,457	10,309
Total Assets	646,660				745,641				646,660	745,641	566,952
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Restructuring and severance Costs									0	0	(8,017)
Operating Income									85,336	152,794	25,434
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									537,980	626,698	427,181
Diodes Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									607,493	596,354	410,415
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									607,493	596,354	410,415
Gross Margin									143,876	138,308	51,361
Depreciation expense									39,577	39,035	38,638
Interest expense (income)									0	0	93
Capital expenditures									39,444	30,879	12,474
Total Assets	682,017				685,490				682,017	685,490	522,080
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Restructuring and severance Costs									0	0	(4,707)
Asset write-downs									0	0	(681)
Operating Income									118,111	115,168	31,275
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									607,493	596,354	410,415
Optoelectronic Components Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									229,814	226,402	167,317
Royalty revenues									72	96	13
Total revenue									229,886	226,498	167,330
Gross Margin									74,772	75,804	37,180
Depreciation expense									12,384	12,282	14,757
Interest expense (income)									0	0	172
Capital expenditures									15,442	13,066	3,453
Total Assets	163,486				163,584				163,486	163,584	132,065
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Restructuring and severance Costs									0	0	(2,755)
Operating Income									60,492	64,088	24,441
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									229,886	226,498	167,330
Resistors And Inductors Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									634,490	622,819	438,600
Royalty revenues									6,364	5,485	5,626
Total revenue									640,854	628,304	444,226
Gross Margin									213,997	222,785	109,093
Depreciation expense									32,039	30,142	38,392
Interest expense (income)									223	933	(27)
Capital expenditures									28,751	27,874	11,126
Total Assets	609,556				602,466				609,556	602,466	572,076
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Restructuring and severance Costs									0	0	(9,374)
Operating Income									185,327	195,730	85,406
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									640,854	628,304	444,226
Capacitors Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									577,816	546,149	420,890
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									577,816	546,149	420,890
Gross Margin									161,843	144,349	80,533
Depreciation expense									25,979	31,551	46,684
Interest expense (income)									223	762	934
Capital expenditures									19,676	17,132	10,567
Total Assets	672,049				652,742				672,049	652,742	668,271
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Restructuring and severance Costs									0	0	(5,353)
Operating Income									136,901	121,714	60,480
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									577,816	546,149	420,890
Vishay Precision Group Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									0	101,089	171,991
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									0	101,089	171,991
Gross Margin									0	37,030	52,714
Depreciation expense									0	3,391	8,446
Interest expense (income)									0	33	69
Capital expenditures									0	918	2,181
Total Assets	0				0				0	0	209,779
Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes										9,716
Net earnings attributable to Vishay stockholders										5,811
Diluted earnings per share attributable to Vishay stockholders (in dollars per share)										$ 0.03
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Restructuring and severance Costs									0	0	(2,048)
Operating Income									0	18,949	22,510
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									0	101,089	171,991
Corporate Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									0	0	0
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									0	0	0
Gross Margin									0	0	0
Depreciation expense									1,235	1,458	330
Interest expense (income)									18,819	9,308	9,057
Capital expenditures									3,808	87	230
Total Assets	219,962				116,170				219,962	116,170	48,323
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									0	0	0
Unallocated Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses [Member]
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Restructuring and severance Costs									0	0	(5,620)
Operating Income									$ (233,804)	$ (250,505)	$ (220,547)