Waltraud Volk studied art history at the Humboldt University in Berlin from 1948 to 1953 and in 1950 was involved as a student assistant in the “Wissenschaftliches Aktiv” under the direction of Gerhard Strauß in securing and recording the building fabric of the Berlin Palace before it was demolished.

From 1952 to 1957, she worked at the Institute for Theory and History of Architecture at the German Building Academy (DBA). From 1957 to 1963, she was the main consultant for the preservation of historical monuments at the Berlin Municipal Council, and within this time from 1958 to 1962 at the Municipal Building Office of the Greater Berlin Municipal Council, where she was responsible for the preservation of historical monuments. She then worked at the Humboldt University of Berlin (1964-1966) and at the Institute for Urban Planning and Architecture of the DBA (1966-1986).
Her work included, for example, the compilation of overviews of cultural monuments and the development of action plans. In the course of her activities, she was once again involved with the Berlin Palace in 1957, when she campaigned for the proper placement or use of the secured sculptures and structural elements of the palace.

She also published numerous publications, especially on Berlin, dealing with the historical development and history of the city, mainly in the VEB Verlag für Bauwesen (see: Bibliography).

Waltraud Volk, who died in 1996 at the age of 71, represents one of the few well-known women in the field of monument conservation and historic preservation in the GDR.