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Investment Funds Investment Funds (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]      
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage 28.10%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage    
Investment funds $ 1,214,272,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments   $ 1,211,401,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
Income (Loss) from Investment Funds 6,061,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 53,799,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments  
Alternative Investments, Fair Value Disclosure 385,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsFairValueDisclosure    
Real estate      
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]      
Investment funds 481,822,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= us-gaap_RealEstateFundsMember
  466,703,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= us-gaap_RealEstateFundsMember
Income (Loss) from Investment Funds 26,012,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= us-gaap_RealEstateFundsMember
12,295,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= us-gaap_RealEstateFundsMember
 
Energy      
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]      
Investment funds 119,813,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_EnergyFundMember
  152,056,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_EnergyFundMember
Income (Loss) from Investment Funds (21,868,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_EnergyFundMember
8,601,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_EnergyFundMember
 
Arbitrage      
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]      
Investment funds 281,462,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_ArbitrageMember
  282,335,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_ArbitrageMember
Income (Loss) from Investment Funds (873,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_ArbitrageMember
5,107,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_ArbitrageMember
 
Other      
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]      
Investment funds 331,175,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_OtherFundsMember
  310,307,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_OtherFundsMember
Income (Loss) from Investment Funds 2,790,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_OtherFundsMember
27,796,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= wrb_OtherFundsMember
 
Equity Method Investee [Member]      
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]      
Investment funds $ 46,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember