König yakarayirwa pasi pezita risina kunyorwa "S" uye yakavakwa paKaiserliche Werft dockyards muWilhelmshaven, pasi pekuvaka nhamba 33. Chikepe chake chakaiswa muna Gumiguru 1911 uye chakaburitswa musi wa1 Kurume 1913 nemuzukuru waMambo, Albrecht, Duke weWürttemberg. Basa rekugadzirisa rakapedzwa na9 Nyamavhuvhu 1914, zuva raakagadzwa muHigh Seas Fleet. Pakarepo mushure mekugadzwa, König akaitisa miedzo yegungwa, iyo yakapedzwa na 23 Mbudzi 1914. Chikwata chake chaisanganisira maofficial makumi mana nematanhatu nevarume 1,095 vakanyoreswa. Mushure meizvozvo, ngarava iyi yakabatanidzwa neV Division ye III Battle Squadron yeGerman High Seas Fleet, kwaizobatana nehanzvadzi dzayo. Musi waZvita 9, König yakamhara munzira yeWilhelmshaven.
Vakuru 41 nevarume 1095 vakanyoresa