Near the end of the film, during the Baden Baden scenes, Becky asks Dobbin what he is doing "here in Germany".
Germany was not unified as such until 1870. So would people neverthless have referred to the name "Germany" in 1830, or would they have referred to the separate states that were later unified as Germany? (Baden Baden was in the state of Baden at that time.)
In the book, Thackeray refers to it as Germany and the people as Germans. In 1814, they founded the German Federation, a loose collection of 39 sovereign states--so it might have been about then that they started referring to it as Germany?
Come, we must press against the tide of naughtiness. Mind your step.
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Germany, as you correctly state, would not become fully unified into a state of that name 'till 1870, but the concept of 'Germany' - as in all those states where German speaking people live would be recognised. Someone travelling across Europe would probably consider theselves in 'Germany' most of the time (possibly excepting being in 'Bavaria')
In context.. a present day American, in a simular situation, bumping into a long lost friend may well say "I didn't know you were in Europe" without implying any possible future united states of Europe.
few visible scars