Preussen was ordered by the Imperial Navy from the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin; her keel was laid in 1871 under construction number 66.
This was the first time a private German shipbuilder was given a contract to build a large warship for the navy.
The ship was launched on 22 November 1873 and commissioned into the German fleet on 4 July 1876.
Although she was the third and final ship in her class to be laid down, she was the first to be launched and commissioned.
This was because her two sisters, Friedrich der Grosse and Grosser Kurfürst, were built by newly established Imperial dockyards, while Preussen was built by an experienced commercial ship builder.

After her commissioning in July 1876, Preussen served with the fleet.
She joined a squadron sent to the Mediterranean Sea in 1877 in response to unrest in the Ottoman Empire related to the Russo-Turkish War; the violence threatened German citizens living there.
The squadron, which also included the two Kaiser-class ironclads, the armored frigate Friedrich Carl, and the aviso Falke, was commanded by Konteradmiral (Rear Admiral) Carl Ferdinand Batsch.
The ships steamed to the ports of Haifa and Jaffa in July 1877, but found no significant tensions ashore.
Batsch then departed and cruised the Mediterranean for the remainder of the summer, returning to Germany in October.

In April 1878, Preussen participated in the fleet maneuvers, again under Batsch's command.
By this time, she was joined by her two sister ships, Friedrich der Grosse and Grosser Kurfürst.
While steaming in the English Channel on 31 May, the armored frigate König Wilhelm accidentally rammed Grosser Kurfürst; the latter quickly sank with the loss of 276 men.
After assisting in the rescue attempt, Preussen escorted the damaged König Wilhelm to Portsmouth, where the Royal Navy made available a dry dock for emergency repairs.
Albrecht von Stosch, the chief of the Kaiserliche Marine, ordered Batsch and his staff to return to Germany immediately aboard Preussen and the dispatch vessel Falke.
The annual summer maneuvers for 1878 were canceled within a week of the sinking.

In May 1879, the armored squadron was reactivated, composed of Preussen, her sister Friedrich der Grosse, and the old armored frigates Kronprinz and Friedrich Carl.
The annual summer training cruise was primarily conducted in just the Baltic Sea, apart from a short voyage in June to the coast of Norway.
The four ships returned to Kiel in September, where they were demobilized for the winter.
The new armored corvette Sachsen replaced Kronprinz in the squadron in 1880.
Wilhelm von Wickede, a former Austrian naval officer, replaced Batsch as the squadron commander.
Again, the squadron remained in the Baltic for the summer cruise, with the exception of a short visit to Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven in August.

The summer cruise in 1881 followed the same pattern as the year previous, though Kronprinz returned in place of Sachsen, which was plagued with engine problems.
Wickede again served as the commander.
In July, the ships hosted a visit by the British reserve squadron, which by this time included the first British ironclad, HMS Warrior.
Preussen and the rest of the squadron visited Danzig in September during a meeting between Kaiser Wilhelm I and the Russian Tsar Alexander III.
The 1882 summer cruise included the same four ironclads from the previous year, and was again commanded by Wickede, who had by then been promoted to Konteradmiral.
Preussen was kept in reserve during the annual summer maneuvers starting in 1883, as new ships, including the rest of the Sachsen-class ironclads entered service.
From 1883 to 1885, the ship underwent a modernization that included new boilers and a reconstructed poop deck.
Two 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss guns and five submerged torpedo tubes were added in the hull.
Preussen was ordered by the Imperial Navy from the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin; her keel was laid in 1871 under construction number 66. This was the first time a private German shipbuilder was given a contract to build a large warship for the navy. The ship was launched on 22 November 1873 and commissioned into the German fleet on 4 July 1876. Although she was the third and final ship in her class to be laid down, she was the first to be launched and commissioned. This was because her two sisters, Friedrich der Grosse and Grosser Kurfürst, were built by newly established Imperial dockyards, while Preussen was built by an experienced commercial ship builder.
After her commissioning in July 1876, Preussen served with the fleet. She joined a squadron sent to the Mediterranean Sea in 1877 in response to unrest in the Ottoman Empire related to the Russo-Turkish War; the violence threatened German citizens living there. The squadron, which also included the two Kaiser-class ironclads, the armored frigate Friedrich Carl, and the aviso Falke, was commanded by Konteradmiral (Rear Admiral) Carl Ferdinand Batsch. The ships steamed to the ports of Haifa and Jaffa in July 1877, but found no significant tensions ashore. Batsch then departed and cruised the Mediterranean for the remainder of the summer, returning to Germany in October.
In April 1878, Preussen participated in the fleet maneuvers, again under Batsch's command. By this time, she was joined by her two sister ships, Friedrich der Grosse and Grosser Kurfürst. While steaming in the English Channel on 31 May, the armored frigate König Wilhelm accidentally rammed Grosser Kurfürst; the latter quickly sank with the loss of 276 men. After assisting in the rescue attempt, Preussen escorted the damaged König Wilhelm to Portsmouth, where the Royal Navy made available a dry dock for emergency repairs. Albrecht von Stosch, the chief of the Kaiserliche Marine, ordered Batsch and his staff to return to Germany immediately aboard Preussen and the dispatch vessel Falke. The annual summer maneuvers for 1878 were canceled within a week of the sinking.
In May 1879, the armored squadron was reactivated, composed of Preussen, her sister Friedrich der Grosse, and the old armored frigates Kronprinz and Friedrich Carl. The annual summer training cruise was primarily conducted in just the Baltic Sea, apart from a short voyage in June to the coast of Norway. The four ships returned to Kiel in September, where they were demobilized for the winter. The new armored corvette Sachsen replaced Kronprinz in the squadron in 1880. Wilhelm von Wickede, a former Austrian naval officer, replaced Batsch as the squadron commander. Again, the squadron remained in the Baltic for the summer cruise, with the exception of a short visit to Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven in August.
The summer cruise in 1881 followed the same pattern as the year previous, though Kronprinz returned in place of Sachsen, which was plagued with engine problems. Wickede again served as the commander. In July, the ships hosted a visit by the British reserve squadron, which by this time included the first British ironclad, HMS Warrior. Preussen and the rest of the squadron visited Danzig in September during a meeting between Kaiser Wilhelm I and the Russian Tsar Alexander III. The 1882 summer cruise included the same four ironclads from the previous year, and was again commanded by Wickede, who had by then been promoted to Konteradmiral. Preussen was kept in reserve during the annual summer maneuvers starting in 1883, as new ships, including the rest of the Sachsen-class ironclads entered service. From 1883 to 1885, the ship underwent a modernization that included new boilers and a reconstructed poop deck. Two 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss guns and five submerged torpedo tubes were added in the hull.
SMS Preussen (1873)