St. Magdalene, Gothic parish church in Herzogenaurach, Germany

St. Magdalena is a parish church in Herzogenaurach with Gothic architecture and Baroque furnishings, standing on a hill north of the main street. A prominent bell tower at the west gable marks the exterior and is visible from a distance.

A chapel stood on the hill above the Aurach in the 11th century, dedicated to St Martin of Tours; from 1300 it was placed under Mary Magdalene. The choir is the oldest part of the Gothic church, the nave was begun around 1320 and finished in High Gothic form around 1400, closed by the slender west tower. Until the 15th century the church lay outside the town wall, sharing a walled precinct with the castle and the later episcopal office building.

The ceiling paintings and artistic stars show the region's religious craftsmanship and shape the interior space today. The four historic bells, including one from 1425 inscribed with the Evangelists' names, stand as silent witnesses to this tradition.

The church stands on a hill above the Hauptstraße, surrounded by the Kirchenplatz, which is part of the pedestrian zone; the Marienkapelle, the parish office and the town museum are on the same square. The west gable tower faces the square, and the choir lies at the east end. The nave is entered from the rear under the organ gallery.

The organ was built in 2002 by the Swiss firm Metzler, with 42 stops on three manuals and pedal and mechanical action. Donations from the local Schaeffler company paid for it. The four bells in the tower include the largest, cast in 1425 and bearing the names of the four Evangelists; the Marienglocke dates from 1651.