1888 was the so-called “𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗸𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗷𝗮𝗵𝗿” because the German Empire saw three different emperors.

𝗞𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺 𝗜, born in 1797, died on March 9th, 1888. He was succeeded by his son Friedrich (*1831) who reigned Germany as 𝗞𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗜𝗜 for 99 days. He died of throat cancer on June 15th, 1888, so his son Wilhelm II (*1859) ascended to the German throne on the same day. 𝗞𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺 𝗜𝗜 was the last German emperor, he abdicated in 1918 and died in exile in 1941.

Sometimes the year 1888 is also called “𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘇𝗲𝗹𝗷𝗮𝗵𝗿” (three pretzel year) because the eights look like pretzels.