  String backgrounds and D-branes do not possess the structure of Lorentzian
manifolds, but that of manifolds with area metric. Area metric geometry is a
true generalization of metric geometry, which in particular may accommodate a
B-field. While an area metric does not determine a connection, we identify the
appropriate differential geometric structure which is of relevance for the
minimal surface equation in such a generalized geometry. In particular the
notion of a derivative action of areas on areas emerges naturally. Area metric
geometry provides new tools in differential geometry, which promise to play a
role in the description of gravitational dynamics on D-branes.
