In 1944, the paper, albeit illegal and vigorously persecuted, reached a circulation of approximately 100,000, and it was distributed by the Dutch resistance.[1] Other important contributors were Simon Carmiggelt and Max Nord, who lived with Van Norden and their families on the Reguliersgracht, in the headquarters of the paper, which was never discovered by the German occupiers.These local publications were all discontinued in the late sixties, early seventies, or (in the case of Het Flevoparool) eighties.In the 1990s, Het Parool started turning a loss, due to stiff competition and a lack of investment by PCM.PCM was subsequently acquired by British-based investment group Apax Partners, which led to substantial debts and significant problems for the company.For Belgium-based De Persgroep, Het Parool served as a first foothold in the Netherlands, leading to the acquisition of a majority of the struggling PCM in 2009.