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Securities In An Unrealized Loss Position Securities In An Unrealized Loss Position (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position $ 2,215,999,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue $ 2,895,204,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
Gross Unrealized Losses 64,198,000wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI 69,142,000wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
Available For Sale Equity Securities Gross Unrealized Gains 17,102,000wrb_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesGrossUnrealizedGains 20,314,000wrb_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesGrossUnrealizedGains
Loans and Leases Receivable, Other, Allowance 2,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableOtherAllowance 3,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableOtherAllowance
Noninvestment Grade Investments [Member]    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Number of Securities 7us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsMember
 
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 75,300,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsMember
 
Available For Sale Equity Securities Gross Unrealized Gains 13,200,000wrb_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesGrossUnrealizedGains
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= wrb_NoninvestmentGradeInvestmentsMember
 
Preferred stocks    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 26,654,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_PreferredStockMember
49,774,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_PreferredStockMember
Gross Unrealized Losses 3,870,000wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_PreferredStockMember
4,165,000wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_PreferredStockMember
Available For Sale Equity Securities Gross Unrealized Gains 17,102,000wrb_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesGrossUnrealizedGains
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_PreferredStockMember
8,385,000wrb_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesGrossUnrealizedGains
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_PreferredStockMember
Common stocks    
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]    
Aggregate fair value of securities in a continuous unrealized loss position 48,645,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
15,929,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
Gross Unrealized Losses 9,383,000wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
5,453,000wrb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLossesAccumulatedInAOCI
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
Available For Sale Equity Securities Gross Unrealized Gains $ 0wrb_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesGrossUnrealizedGains
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
$ 11,929,000wrb_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesGrossUnrealizedGains
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember