Why did Frederick II encourage immigrants to settle in Prussia?

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Portrait painting of Frederick II of Brandenburg, King of Prussia, wearing a dark coat with a star medal, yellow gloves, and holding a cane, with the inscription Fridericus II Rex Prussiae. — Frederick II Frederick II, painting in the Castello di Miramare, Trieste, Italy.

Frederick II encouraged immigrants to settle in Prussia primarily as a central feature of the rétablissement, his program to recover from the losses incurred during the Seven Years’ War.1

By attracting more than 300,000 settlers to the region, Frederick II aimed to cultivate and develop waste or depopulated lands. This initiative was part of his broader objective to increase the power and economic stability of the Prussian state. While his social and economic policies remained largely conservative, this settlement program was a significant effort to restore the kingdom's productivity and population following the devastation of war.1