After World War I Germany was only allowed to keep six old pre Dreadnought battleships. These were the ships of the Braunschweig and Deutschland class. Build between 1904 and 1905, the Braunschweig class was already obsolete during World War I and were decommissioned in 1917, but due to the lack of available ships, forced those ships back into service again.

They were only used as coast defense or training ships. In this role, they made intensive voyages to Africa, Middle and South America between 1926 and 1939.

The only ships of this type to see action in WW2 were the Schleswig Holstein and Schlesien. The others being replaced by more modern vessels

In April 1945 the Schlesien was moved to Swinemünde with over 1000 wounded men on board, and then on the 3rd May 1945 she was hit a mine at Zinnowitz, NW of Swinemünde and was beached. On the 4th May she was blown up.

Between 1949 and 1956 the wreck was broken up for scrap.