He was the son of Nicholas I of Werle and his wife, Jutta of Anhalt.
After his father's death in 1277 he initially ruled Werle jointly with his brothers Henry I and John I.
In 1281 it was decided to divide the principality and Bernhard took over control of the Prisannewitz section.
He was last mentioned as being alive on 9 March 1282; on 3 March 1288, he was mentioned as "deceased" by his nephew Nicholas II.
This article about a member of the German nobility is a stub.