 SMS Kaiser Barbarossa ( His Majesty 's Ship Emperor Barbarossa ) was a German pre @-@ dreadnought battleship of the Kaiser Friedrich III class . The ship was built for the Imperial Navy , which had begun a program of expansion at the direction of Kaiser Wilhelm II . She was constructed at Schichau , in Danzig . Kaiser Barbarossa was laid down in August 1898 , launched on 24 April 1900 , and commissioned in June 1901 , at the cost of 20 @,@ 301 @,@ 000 Marks . The ship was armed with a main battery of four 24 @-@ centimeter ( 9 @.@ 4 in ) guns in two twin gun turrets . 
