SMS Geier ("His Majesty's Ship Geier—Vulture") was an unprotected cruiser of the Bussard class built for the German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). She was laid down in 1893 at the Imperial Dockyard in Wilhelmshaven, launched in October 1894, and commissioned into the fleet a year later in October 1895. The ship was designed for service in Germany's overseas colonies, which required the comparatively heavy armament of eight 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns and a long cruising radius.