Named in honor of the Empress Elisabeth, consort of Emperor Franz Josef, the cruiser was designed for overseas service and in fact was stationed in China at the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
Imenovana u čast carice Elizabete, supruge cara Franje Josipa, krstarica je bila oblikovana za prekomorsku službu i zapravo je bila stacionirana u Kini pri izbijanju Prvoga svjetskog rata 1914. godine.