Our History

​The Democracy School was founded by Nico Andreas Heller in London in 2003. Due to the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, we relocated to Berlin (Germany) in 2017.

Between 2003 and 2013 we were active almost exclusively in England. During these formative years we focused on helping local politicians and public sector executives develop the political leadership capacity needed to address highly complex and often politically sensitive challenges effectively. Our corporate clients during this time included Cornwall Council, Crawley Borough Council, Essex County Council, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Suffolk Coastal District Council, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Waveney District Council.

​From 2013 onwards the School began supplementing its public sector consultancy work with internally generated projects and over the next five years launched a number of ambitious international initiatives, including its European Leadership Initiative (ELI), WePolter! and the ICR Development Process. Whilst these initiatives allowed us to reach and support activists we would not otherwise have reached, it also signalled a fundamental change in our positioning and identity. If until 2013 we were essentially a client-driven public sector political research consultancy with a focus on leadership development, thereafter we rapidly developed into a non-governmental capacity builder, focused primarily on helping political activists, public intellectuals and artists develop their political/transformative practice.

​You can download our School Profil here. For more information about the Democracy School and its work, please consult this website or drop us a line.