Wu De was born in Fengrun County, Hebei Province. He dedicated himself to Chinese revolutionary activities since 1932 and joined the CPC in March, 1933. From 1933 to 1937, he was engaged in the labor movement of the Party, holding many important positions locally and nationally. During the Anti-Japanese War, he organized the armed uprising in Eastern Hebei Province and directly led and launched the Kailuan Coal Mine Workers Uprising. In the period of Liberation War, he served as Secretary-general of the Central Office in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Province, Party Secretary of Eastern Hebei Region and Political Commissar of Eastern Hebei Military Region, etc. After liberation, he held a series positions as Deputy Secretary Municipal CPC Committee and Mayor of Tianjin, First Secretary of Jilin Provincial Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Provincial Military Region (concurrent), Secretary of the Secretariat of the Northeast Bureau, First Secretary and Mayor of Beijing Municipal Party Committee.
He was elected as member of the 9th, 10th and 11th CPC Central Committee, member of the CPC Central Political Bureau and Vice-chairman of the 4th and 5th NPC Standing Committee.  He was the elected member of the Central Consultative Committee.
His term as Mayor of Tianjin and President of Tianjin University was from 1952 to 1957.