The Plates of the car, in which Stamm hides for Transit to Berlin read "B-GB 9807". While "B" for Berlin is correct, both letters after the dash - B and G - where never assigned until the late 90s. This may be a deliberate mistake, because in german movies from that era, plates on film cars commonly used such never-assigned letters, so they couldn't be mistaken for real plates.
Also, while the HU-seal has a correct color (orange for 1983), the layout of the seal was outdated since 1975.
Also, while the HU-seal has a correct color (orange for 1983), the layout of the seal was outdated since 1975.
In the beginning the radio announcer asks to direct information about the escaping Martin/Moritz to the "Bundes Polizei". In 1983 this police force was still named "Bundesgrenzschutz". The name "Bundespolizei" is used since 2005.
The conference chairs in Lenora Rauch's office, whilst contemporary for 1983, are actually BRITISH ARMY issue chairs. With the withdrawal of the Rhine Army, doubtless German vintage furniture shops are flooded with this stuff.
Alex takes an HIV/AIDS blood test. However, there were no HIV/AIDS blood tests in 1983. The first HIV/AIDS antibody test was not developed and utilized until 1985.
While driving towards the border, Martin hears on the radio that the Bundespolizei (Federal Police) is searching for him. However, in 1983 the Bundespolizei was known as the Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Police). The name change did not occur until July 2005.
When Lenora Rauch prepares to flee with her African lover she opens an attaché case that contains several false passports. The top one is a UK Burgundy EU-style passport but these were not issued until 1988.
In episode 8, when Stamm is near the BRD-DDR border and tries to escape to the DDR, there's a Citroën BX on the parking lot from the late eighties. The later, upgraded series look distinctly different from the original BX, which was introduced in 1982.
The search bulletin on the radio asks people to contact the "Bundespolizei," even though the Bundesgrenzschutz only adopted this name in 2005.
In Episode 8, while the West Germans look at a map on the wall of Soviet missile bases, the map is 8 years too early. It depicts Soviet Republics that later were freed - Ukraine, Moldova, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, and Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The central Asia ones are also depicted. These weren't freed until the end of the USSR and the break-up of the CIS. Also the Yugoslavian states are shown as separate.