 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.
