born around 1000, probably to a hessian-thuringian noble family, he was possibly educated in the benedictine hersfeld abbey, in hesse. certainly from 1046 he was a monk there, and that year was appointed abbot of tegernsee abbey, in bavaria; in 1047 he also became abbot of . when henry iii, holy roman emperor, was in fulda, toward the end of 1047, then-abbot rohing died, and henry had the monks choose egbert as their new abbot. he was confirmed as abbot by henry in 1049, and later that year was granted a confirmation of the fulda exemption, as a weapon in the ongoing struggle for power (and fulda's independence) with the bishopric of würzburg.