  By Rabinowitsch' trick Hilbert's Nullstellensatz follows from the weak
Nullstellensatz (Rabinowitsch 1929). The weak version can be shown with
elimination theory. Hilbert's original proof is also based on successive
elimination. Lasker obtained a new proof using primary decomposition. We
describe these early proofs and place them in the development of commutative
algebra up to the appearance of van der Waerden's Moderne Algebra. We also
explain Hentzelt's Nullstellensatz.
