Time travel

Time travel

Time travel is the process of travelling across time, to a point in the relative past or future.

Rules

"We think we're free, but we're not. We follow the same old path. Again and again."

―Adult Jonas Kahnwald to teenage Jonas Kahnwald^[src]

The past, present and future are all connected and affect each other. Whether it is possible to change the future through changing the past is unclear, but appears to be impossible.

Seemingly, changes to the past made through time travel are already accounted for in the future and thus, it is impossible to change the future. This means that whatever happens has already happened. Examples:

• Ulrich traveled from 2019 to 1953 and tried to kill young Helge to prevent the future abduction of children, but only caused the injuries to his face which Helge "already" had in the future.
• Jonas traveled from 1921 to 2019 to prevent his father's suicide, only to be the trigger of the tragedy.
• Mikkel traveled from 2019 to 1986, a change in the past which has already happened since his adult self existed during the 2019.

On the other hand, some characters, like Noah, Claudia and Jonas, go to great lengths to ensure that every step will be repeated exactly as it was before, implying that things would change without their intervention and thus, changes to the past affect the future. However, they might have other motives than keeping the timeline consistent. Examples:

• Claudia instructed Tronte and Peter to place Mads' body in the forest where it would be found by the police.
• Future Jonas prevented his younger self from bringing Mikkel (his future father) back from 1986 to 2019, as he believed that doing so would erase his own existence.
• Future Jonas did not release his younger self from the bunker when he was kidnapped by Noah and Helge,

A misconception of the series is, time travel is only possible between points in time that are exactly 33 years apart. There are few examples where this is not the case, but they are normally between 33 year increments:

• The cave wormhole is limited to travel between exactly 3 years: 1953, 1986, & 2019:
  • Old Helge travels from 2019 to 1986, via the cave wormhole right passage...33 years earlier
  • Ulrich travels from 2019 to 1953, via the cave wormhole left passage...66 years earlier
• The apparatus is limited to travel in 33 year increments:
  • The teens use it to go from 2020 to 1987 bus stop...33 years earlier
  • Hannah steals the apparatus and goes from 2020 to 1954 (presumably via a double hop)...66 years earlier
  • Jonas, Magnus, Bartosz, and Franziska go from 2020 to 1888 (by accident) ... 132 years earlier
• The bunker rift:
  • Peter witnesses Mads from 1986 Chair through a rift in the 2019 bunker...33 years later
  • Erik & Yasin from 1986 Chair through a rift in the 1953 bunker...33 years earlier
• The bunker portal at the end of Season 1:
  • Jonas and Young Helge touch through the portal
    • Young Helge is transported from 1953 to 1986...33 years later
    • Jonas is transported from 1986 to 2052...66 years later
• The God Particle stabilized portal in 2053 plant:
  • Jonas in transported to 1921...132 years earlier
  • Charlotte and Elisabeth are transported to 2041... 12 years earlier**
  • Silja is transported to 1890 ... 163 years earlier**
• The God Particle Twin stabilized portal by 1921:
  • Jonas is transported to 2019...98 years later**
  • Teen Noah is transported to 2020...99 years later
  • Adam is transported to 2020...99 years later
  • Adam transports Young Silja from 1911 to 2041 ... 130 years later**
• The plant portal at the end of Season 2:
  • Charlotte and Elisabeth touch through the portal
    • Charlotte is transported from 2020 to 2053
• Golden Time Orb
  • Martha is transported from June 27, 2020 to September 21, 1888 ... 131 years and a few months earlier**
  • Martha is transported from September 23, 1888 to September 23, 2053 ... 165 years later
  • Martha (as Eva) transports Hannah and Young Silja from 1993 to 1911 ... 82 years earlier**
• Cave Wormhole in Eva's World
  • Jonas and Martha are transported from November 6, 2019 to November 6, 2052 ... 33 years later
  • Ulrich is transported from November 8, 2019 to November 8, 1986 ... 33 years earlier

**Non-33 year increment travels

Methods

Season 1

Wormhole or "Passage" in Caves

A wormhole in the Winden Caves opened during an incident in the Winden Nuclear Power Plant in the summer of 1986. A man-made passage behind a heavy metal door created by Sic Mundus, connects three points in time 33 years apart: 1953, 1986, & 2019.

All other known methods of time travel utilize the same method of the original wormhole. Although it seems Mikkel Nielsen get transported 33 years into the past outside the caves while running away, actually it was a younger Jonas back from 2053 via 1921 who took him to the passage in Winden Caves after he was lost, as revealed by Michael Kahnwald (older Mikkel) later in Season 2. Similar thing happened with Claudia Tiedemann's dog Gretchen.

Bunker Chair (Apparatus Alpha)

The Chair was a prototype time machine, built in the Bunker behind the Doppler Shack by Noah & Helge in 1986.

Apparatus / Clockwork Box

Using the prototypes of the Bunker Chair, a portable device was created by H.G. Tannhaus with plans given to him by Claudia. Originally seen in use by The Stranger at the end of Season 1 and used by several people in Season 2. The Apparatus requires the use of the "God Particle," found in the nuclear waste barrels from 1986, and can only be triggered by an electromagnetic impulse, such as a cell phone.

Bunker Portal

In 2019 while Peter is in the bunker seeking solitude and reciting the serenity prayer, Mads falls through a time portal. This portal is the exit point of the wormhole created by the Bunker Chair in 1986.

Jonas is in the 1986 Bunker after being kidnapped by Helge and Noah. Young Helge is in the 1953 bunker after being bashed by Ulrich. When The Stranger activates the apparatus in attempts to close the wormhole at the end of Season 1, a time portal opens in the bunker. Jonas and Helge touch and Jonas is transported to 2052 and Helge to 1986.

Season 2

Bunker Chair 2.0 (Apparatus Beta)

Noah sends Helge back to 1953 after he has healed from being bashed by Ulrich. The Chair now has cylindrical doors that open and close around the traveler, as well as the ability to use a small amount of the "God Particle" from the 1986 nuclear incident. This removes the need for the device to operate directly over the wormhole in the tunnels, and brings it one iterative step close to becoming the Apparatus, which can be operated from anywhere.

Nuclear Plant - God Particle (2053)

Jonas has to find fuel for the equipment to stabilize the God Particle or Wormhole prior to travelling to 1921.

Nuclear Plant - God Particle (2020)

Prior to the Apocalypse a God Particle or Wormhole appears above the open yellow barrel.

Nuclear Plant Portal (2020)

Seemingly the cause of the apocalypse, when mother/daughter touch through the time portal.

Sic Mundus Lab - God Particle Twin (1921)

The God Particle or Wormhole in the Sic Mundus lab that connects with the wormhole in 2053.

Other Martha's Trans-Dimensional Orb

clockwork orb is used at the end of Season 2 by Martha and Jonas to escape the apocalypse. Since Martha states that she is from another world, it is assumed that this device bridges worlds, and not time periods (at least not demonstrated as of yet).

Instances

Also reference Timeline

Episode	Traveler	Departure	Arrival	Method	Details
	Helge Doppler (middle-aged)	22 Oct 1986	22 Oct 2019	Wormhole in Caves	Helge comes to 2019 to kidnap Erik.
	Helge Doppler (middle-aged)	22 Oct 2019	22 Oct 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Helge kidnaps Erik and brings him back through the caves back to the 1986 Bunker.
	Erik Obendorf	22 Oct 2019	22 Oct 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Helge kidnaps Erik and brings him back through the caves back to the 1986 Bunker.
S1:E7	Noah				Jana witnesses a Priest arguing with a man that had a disfigured ear 1 week before Mads disappearance on 9 Oct 1986.
S1:E1	Helge Doppler (middle-aged)	4 Nov 1986	4 Nov 2019	Wormhole in Caves	Helge arrives in 2019. Likely a flashback to when Helge arrive to kidnapped Erik on 22 Oct 2019.
S1:E1	Mikkel Nielsen	4 Nov 2019	4 Nov 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Jonas from 2053 takes Mikkel into the cave, through the passage, and back to 1986.
S2:E6	Jonas Kahnwald from 2053	4 Nov 2019	4 Nov 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Michael reveals to Jonas that he took him into the cave, through the passage, and back to 1986.
S1:E2	Erik Obendorf	5 Nov 1986	5 Nov 1953	Bunker Chair	Helge straps Erik to the chair and he is transported to 1953 bunker and dies in the process.
S1:10	Mads Nielsen	5 Nov 1986	5 Nov 2019	Bunker Chair	Peter witnesses Mads (missing since 9 Oct 1986) body falling through the Bunker time rift. Claudia turns up and tells Peter and Tronte to move the body to the woods to be found by Police.
S1:E2	The Stranger		5 Nov 2019		The Stranger arrives in Winden and goes to Regina's Hotel for a shower.
	Helge Doppler (middle-aged)	7 Nov 2019	7 Nov 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Helge comes to 2019 to kidnap Yasin.
	Helge Doppler (middle-aged)	7 Nov 2019	7 Nov 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Helge kidnaps Erik and brings him back through the caves back to the 1986 Bunker.
	Yasin Friese	7 Nov 2019	7 Nov 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Helge kidnaps Yasin and brings him back through the caves back to the 1986 Bunker.
	Yasin Friese	9 Nov 1986	9 Nov 1953	Bunker Chair	Backward
	Ulrich Nielsen	10 Nov 2019	10 Nov 1953	Wormhole in Caves	Backward
	Gretchen (dog)	10 Nov 1953	10 Nov 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Forward
	Claudia Tiedemann (old)	10 Nov 1953	10 Nov 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Forward
	Claudia Tiedemann (middle)	1986?	2052?	?	Forward
	Claudia Tiedemann (old)	2052?	11 Nov 1953	?	Apparatus Plans
	Claudia Tiedemann (old)	2052?	4 Nov 2019	?	Mads in Bunker
	Claudia Tiedemann (old)	2052?	11 Nov 2019	?	Visits Bartosz
	Helge Doppler (middle-aged)	several	several	Wormhole in Caves	Forward & Backward
	Helge Doppler (old)	9 Nov 2019	9 Nov 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Backward
	Helge Doppler (child)	12 Nov 1953	12 Nov 1986	Bunker Portal	Forward
	Jonas Kahnwald	8 Nov 2019	8 Nov 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Backward
	Jonas Kahnwald	9 Nov 1986	9 Nov 2019	Wormhole in Caves	Forward
	Jonas Kahnwald	12 Nov 2019	12 Nov 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Backward
	Jonas Kahnwald	12 Nov 1986	2052	Bunker Portal	Forward*
	The Stranger	7 Nov 2019?	7 Nov 1986	Wormhole in Caves	Backward
	Noah	2052?,several	several	?	Backward & Forward

*Known time travels span beyond 33 years.

Needs expanding...