Her building was ordered conform the navy building program in 1908, laid down April 1910, launched 13 May 1911 at the AG Weser, Bremen, Germany as the first ship of her class, completed August 1912, building cosys 8.058.000 marks, commissioned 10 December 1912, run aground and sunk 26 August 1914 in the Gulf of Finland. Although set into fire by her own crew she was abandoned before being destroyed and the wreck was captured but the Russian navy. On board was an undamaged codebook found and which was handed over to England, an ally of Russia. The wreck was later as yet completely destroyed. Her dimensions were 130,5 x 12 x 5,48 metre and the displacement 4,362 tonnes of 4.915 tons full load. The Germania turbines delivered 33.500 hp allowing a trial speed of 27,6 knots. Her range was 5.000 nautical miles. The crew numbered 354 men while she was armed with 12-10,5cm guns, 2-50cm torpedo tubes and 120 mines. The bow ram with her predecessors were fitted out was now replaced by a cruiser shape, the first warships to be fitted out with such a shape and although being a light cruiser was her waterline armoured. Her sister ships were the Stralsund, Breslau and Strassburg.
