 Wittelsbach was ordered for the German fleet under the contract designation " C. " She was laid down at the Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven in 1899 , under construction number 25 . She was launched on 3 July 1900 ; once she left the stocks fitting out work commenced . This included the installation of the ship 's armament , completion of the interior compartments , and the finishing of the superstructure . By late 1902 work on the ship was finished . Wittelsbach was commissioned into the fleet on 15 October of that year . Wettin was ordered as " D " and laid down at the Schichau @-@ Werke in Danzig in 1899 . Although she was launched on 6 June 1901 — nearly a full year after Wittelsbach — she was commissioned on 1 October 1902 , two weeks earlier than her sister ship . 
