Emden was a light cruiser built for the German Navy ("Reichsmarine") in the early 1920s. She was the only ship of her class and was the first large warship built in Germany after the end of World War I. She was built at the "Reichsmarinewerft" in Wilhelmshaven; her keel was laid down in December 1921 and her completed hull was launched in January 1925. "Emden" was commissioned into the fleet in October 1925. Her design was heavily informed by the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles and the dictates of the Allied disarmament commission. Displacement was capped at , though like all German warships built in the period, "Emden" exceeded the size limitations. She was armed with a main battery of surplus guns left over from World War I, mounted in single gun turrets, as mandated by the Allied powers. She had a top speed of .