(callsign: dbr) later renamed "constantinople" and then "king alexander", was a german "barbarossa"-class ocean liner commissioned in 1897 by norddeutscher lloyd. the ss "bremen" was built by f. schichau of danzig for the norddeutscher-lloyd line. she started her maiden voyage on 5 june 1897 and was sadly most notable for passing through the debris field on 20 april 1912 left by the sinking of the . on 21 november 1907 it was reported: "the advantage of wireless telegraphy was again demonstrated yesterday, when the n.d.l. steamer bremen, coming up the coast, communicated with h.m.s. encounter at garden island by means of the "wireless," requesting the commander to convey to the agents of the norddeutscher lloyd, messrs. lohmann and co., the fact that the german mail steamer would reach sydney harbor at about 5 o'clock. the message was promptly delivered, thus facilitating in a marked degree the arrangements for landing the passengers. the present instance is the first on record of the use of wireless telegraphy by a mail steamer on this coast."