So what does goth mean in 2018? If this festival is anything to go by, the subculture has so many factions that what ties it together is more of an ‘essence’ than something concrete. “Yeah there’s no ‘right’ way to be a goth,” confirms Franziska, 30, who has been coming to the festival for six years. “You can do what you want, wear what you want, be what you want. It changes over time, but there’s no one thing. It’s music, it’s a lifestyle. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can speak with all generations.” It’s hard to disagree with him. Goth continues to trundle along without aiming for “coolness” or trying to stay “relevant.” In that way, even when clearly defined, tribal subcultures may seem to be dwindling, the elasticity of goth is what keeps it going. Those who identify with goth will gravitate towards it, and the many generations you find at Wave-Gotik Treffen each year feel like proof of that.