The school had its origins in a writing institute established by Otto Magnus Påhlman (1811-1873) in Stockholm in 1846.

By 1891 John Påhlman was the sole owner of the Stockholm school, and during that decade expanded the courses taught to include customs issues, postal, railway and shipping issues.

In 1899 a training office was added to the school, followed in 1907 by courses in banking.

[2] It was the first business school in Sweden to receive this kind of recognition.

[1][3] Presently the school is owned and run by the non-profit Studieförbundet Medborgarskolan.