"Sachsen" was ordered by the Imperial Navy under the contract name "B," which denoted that the vessel was a new addition to the fleet. She was built at the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin; her keel was laid down in 1875 under yard number 74. The ship was launched on 21 July 1877, and was commissioned into the German fleet on 20 October 1878. She was the first large, armored warship built for the German navy that relied entirely on engines for propulsion. After her commissioning, "Sachsen" joined the German fleet, which was tasked primarily with coastal defense against France and Russia, who were presumed to be the most likely enemies in a continental war. In the early 1880s, heightened tensions with Russia prompted the naval command developed more offensively-minded contingencies. These formed the basis for the annual summer fleet maneuvers, in which "Sachsen" took part. In 1887, she was present for the ceremonies marking the beginning of construction of the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal, which was to link the Kiel with the North Sea.