FO-Aarhus blev oprettet i 1973 som en lokalafdeling af Frit Oplysningsforbund, der blev grundlagt i 1952 af medlemmer af Det Radikale Venstre med det formål at udbrede folkeoplysning i almindelighed og at arbejde for accept af FN’s idealer: fred, tolerance, mellemfolkelig forståelse og internationalt samarbejde.

FO-Aarhus' aktiviteter var i starten kun aftenskoleundervisning. Fra midten 1980'erne er der oprettet flere og flere projekter med heldagsundervisning.

Folkeoplysningen har sit ideologiske udspring hos blandt andre N.F.S. Grundtvig. Se en lille film om folkeoplysningens historie (7 min.).

FO-Aarhus was founded in 1973 as a local branch of Frit Oplysningsforbund, which was founded in 1952 by members of the Danish Social Liberal Party with the purpose of spreading public enlightenment in general and to work towards an acceptance of the ideals of the United Nations: peace, tolerance and international understanding and collaboration.

In the beginning FO-Aarhus consisted of evening classes only. From the middle of the 1980's more and more  projects containing day-time classes were set up.

The ideology og Public Enlightenment (non-formal adult education) dates back to the ideas of Mr. N.F.S. Grundtvig who was one of the fathers of the Danish Democratic Constitution of 1849. Watch an animated video about Public Emlightenment (in Danish).